I live in the city and all around my home new buildings are being constructed. Walking one morning, I stopped to watch a crane in action. What I saw was elegance and purpose at work, and it was exquisite.
What does a building site crane have to do with elegance and purpose?
As I watched the crane, I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed. It lifted large heavy items, gently and precisely placing them where they needed to go. This to me was beauty in motion.
It was very easy to feel how different this picture would be if the driver was in a hurry, distracted, rushing to get something done, tired, tense or even trying too hard… this would be seen, felt and magnified in every movement of the crane, immediately. Instead of seeing elegance and purpose at work, I would have been watching something rough and even dangerous.
Because of its sheer size, a crane cannot help but magnify the quality in which the driver operates it.
I found myself imagining how uncomfortable it would be to see something that large working in a zippy, rushing way, yet this is exactly how I can operate in my day to ‘get things done’. Standing there, I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy.
It is easy to see how bumping into things as a human being can leave me with a bruise, a scratch or a cut: on the level of a crane, these same bumps can be disastrous, costly and even deadly. The crane driver knows he is responsible not just for moving things from A to B, but for moving them safely, carefully and efficiently within a busy worksite, without bumping or damaging anything or any one of the many workers around the site.
On the human level, it is much easier to brush off the bumps, bruises or spilling consequences of rushing and just keep going; when on the crane level these consequences are followed with an immediate stop and investigation.
Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.
Rushing seems to get things done, but if the crane driver followed this theory, it would show that the opposite is true: rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.
Elegance and purpose are a crane driver’s only way of operating. There is much beauty to feel and see in this level of commitment, awareness and care in action. It is an unexpected reminder of how I can move and conduct myself with this same elegance and purpose in my own body in the ‘work site’ of my daily life.
Inspired by the work and movement of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.
By Adrienne Hutchins, Funeral Director, Brisbane, Australia
Further Reading:
Stillness
The Nature of Energy: A Bathtub Lesson
Rush Rush Rush
To move with elegance and purpose, we firstly need to connect. This is the guarantee that we are accurate in everything we do, as when we take care of this intimate communication with ourselves, we are focussed and everything and everyone around us is being taken care of naturally, without any kind of effort.
The swimming lessons offered by Simone Benhayon are to me a science lesson as we discover as you say Michelle that water is a medium that exposes the consciousness we are living in. I had never given any thought to how I moved on land affects everything. This can clearly be demonstrated in water as we can see that the ripples we generate reach out way beyond our physical body and if something is in the way say another person then they get to feel those ripples generated by us too. How many of us consider this science as we walk around during our day, as we speak to someone on the phone, send an email or text message, that we are sending energy out and that energy has an effect on everyone one else. Imagine if this science was taught at school from an early age, surely we would have much more consideration on how we are with ourselves and all others as every move we make can either harm or heal.
If I am in a rush, then life gets messy very fast. If I take my time, then it can be too controlling and tense, like a slow-mo car crash. If I am not paying attention and daydreaming, nothing gets done. If I feel how to move, what to do, then there is a flow in life and everything runs smoothly.
Purpose is the answer to everything! When we have true purpose we know God.
Work is exhausting if we don’t have true purpose.
I’ve always felt these machines we operate are but an extension of our selves and therefore we have a great responsibility, just as in the way we move our bodies, with how we operate them. Such a lovely reminder on energy and how it magnifies though our movements.
There are so many negative aspects to going into nervous tension at work but one that I am very aware of is how I am unable to truly be with another person. I am so internally and externally wound up and my focus is fixed on ‘getting on’ that I’m not able to truly connect with another, be that via email, on the phone or face to face. The other person receives nothing from me other than tension.
The elegance and purpose of a crane at work or the frantic, mad workings of an overwound clock ? I have experienced being both at work this week. Halfway through the week I got to feel how absolutely dreadful it was to be a busted clock on speed and basically made the decision to not be that anymore. What was incredible to feel was that when I realised that a colleague had not done something that I then had to do on top of my already intense work load, was that the moment I started to go into a rushed panic I stopped, slowed down and took my time. Consequently when I left work my body was relaxed and not battered from the tension of going into nervous tension.
‘Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why‘. Adrienne I can relate to what you share here. There have been a few days recently when I have felt very sore across my upper back and it has been because of the way that I have contracted and hunched over my work in a mad frenzy to get it done. It felt nothing short of dreadful but at the time I felt unable to stop. Since that day I have committed to keeping my body relaxed and the difference to how I feel st the end of the day is quite miraculous.
Being delicate in my day makes all the difference to the quality of work I produce and the connection I make that day.
“‘What I saw was elegance and purpose at work, and it was exquisite.’’ So even the mighty crane can offer us a reflection for us to learn the humble simplicity of being ourselves in all situations.
To observe the reflections that are in harmony with the universe around us we can be inspired to live the same quality in action. The reflections can be so supportive when we just stop and be open sensing and surrendering to everything that is being offered to us in that moment.
I love this; ‘What I saw was elegance and purpose at work, and it was exquisite.’ When I feel elegant, tender and purposeful at work I feel unstoppable, I feel full of energy and ready for whatever comes along, I love connecting with people and the day flows and there is a beautiful rhythm to it. I also work in a rushed, hard way sometimes and this feels awful, so thank you for the reminder to work with elegance and purpose.
When working with purpose and elegance our spine gets to lengthen and our body gets to expand but when we are working with nervous tension our spine is short and our body contracted. Both ways of being have a knock on effect to every other part of our body, including our organs. When we are contracted we cut off our access to universal intelligence, therefore making everything that we’re trying to do harder.
It might sound simple to work with delicateness, focus and a presence that is still, but in the intense working environment it can be a challenge to maintain and hold this. Not going into the rush, drive and hardness feels fabulous when working, but this is a work in progress and is certainly in development.
What a gorgeous way to work, without the rush and drive; ‘As I watched the crane, I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed. It lifted large heavy items, gently and precisely placing them where they needed to go. This to me was beauty in motion.’
Delicacy and precision in operating a crane calls for conscious presence.
I was drawn to read this blog again today for the sheer joy that moving in purpose with precision and grace brings. I was reminded recently of the care that is needed in using these powerful machines when I was held up by a lorry that was in my way – it was delivering pallets of building materials and underwent a similar exercise to the one you were describing. If there had been but one tiny mistake it could have been devastating not just to the materials and machinery but to the men who were assisting the delivery.
Rushing things in our nowadays workplaces is very common and looks like the way to be at work. But when we look a little deeper, rushing things does not really support us in delivering the quality we would like to bring in our work as in the rushing we are not able to give ourselves in full but only a functional part like a machine.
Rushing also depletes us, increases our anxiety, makes the body tense and can lead to making us feel ill. Is it no wonder that sickness rates and absenteeism from work is so high?
All great reasons to commit to living with conscious presence.
Rushing feels dreadful for the body and also dreadful for everyone who is in the vicinity of the body that is rushing. Rushing feels hard and frantic, it is laced with anxiety and can also carry with it the potential to escalate into frustration, anger and even rage. And the awful thing is, so many of us are almost constantly in a rush, especially mums.
I like the way you use the metaphor of a crane to show us that all of our actions are magnified after we have expressed these. They can either heal or harm dependant on our inner state and level of responsibility we live.
It is very obvious that a crane driver has the hugest responsibility for not only the work he/she does, but for also the safety of all those around the crane site. But when you think about it, we all have that same responsibility when we are at work, no matter what our job. We have a responsibility to the work we do, to the people we work with, our clients, our customers and then to those we return home to, making sure we leave the issues of work behind us. Life and work cannot be separated as they are both parts of the whole of our life; a life that we are totally responsible for.
Gentle precision… this to me feels the way to go with our movements, at work and with everything we do. Behind it lies purpose and quality.
The importance of being present and not rushing is brought out in this beautiful blog thank you Adrienne.
A very practical example of how a quality of energy can play out in our lives, and that we have a choice on how that happens.
I love this, it is such a gorgeous description; ‘I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed. It lifted large heavy items, gently and precisely placing them where they needed to go. This to me was beauty in motion.’
It is a gorgeous description, and makes me want to watch a crane next time I see one.
I love the title of this; ‘Elegance and Purpose – At work’, It makes me realise that so often we can work in a stressed and driven way and how unloving this for us and those we work with. Working in a steady, gentle and purposeful way feels great and can allow for more joy and harmony at work.
Recently I have had the privilege to spend time with working police officers on the job, their essence of purpose and commitment to the community they serve is super inspiring.
I can feel the grace and connection of you in your writing and the purpose of the cranes you see, reflects your own purpose in life.
Moving or walking with a divine purpose builds a rhythm that we can take with us every-where we go and even to our grave so our next incarnation will deliver the same divine movements and purpose.
As you confirm here elegance and purpose can be found in the most surprising places.
Purpose and elegance are possible when there is a connection with ourselves that we move with in life.
Our bodies are much like the crane in that whatever quality of energy we are aligning to we magnify through our bodies, through our movements and this is what we bring to our living day. We all hold the responsibility of the quality in which we are choosing to live, one we either choose to embrace or reject – either way the responsibility remains as does the impact of how we choose to respond to it.
Yes so every moment counts and every choice is crucial. I love this reminder.
Great article Adrienne, and I can now feel a completely different way of appreciating my every movement in the most bird like way as I envisage the methodical way a Crain goes about collecting food. So is it any wonder Those huge crain’s need to be Tenderly and Purpose-full operated in every-way reflecting or mirroring the elegance of the natural way a Crain Lives.
Such a beautiful reflection of the responsibility we all have to ensure we move with elegance and purpose throughout our daily lives.
In your example of the crane we can easily see how our large movements are magnified and the potential for disaster is very obvious in this situation. If the crane driver was in a push and stress to get the job done, then the clanking, roughness and disorder would be so apparent. Yet, in our daily lives we don’t see the potential for disaster in our smaller movements when we push and drive to get the housework done, that document sent out to our boss or the tension we send that email in. All of these have an impact on our body and affects those around us.
Without true purpose at work we become bored and easily distracted, far wiser to feel God’s purpose in what you we do then nothing becomes a bore in-fact when we work with the purpose of God everything becomes so very meaningful and interesting.
So often we take for granted the jobs people do and all that is required to do that job, I mean you have to admire the crane operator for actually being able to climb all those steps just to get to work each day. Not for the faint hearted!
Adrienne, You are offering us a great reminder and stop with this analogy with the work of the cranes. True, rushing seems to get things done, but in the end we are left exhausted and the quality of our work is not what it should be, in effect it is truly harming for everyone involved and beyond.
Yes Annelies, it looks so normal in our today’s working environments in which rushing is commonplace even to the extent that people victory when they are quicker than anyone else.
[…] Related Reading: There is honour in every job Am I in the right job? Elegance and Purpose – At Work […]
A beautiful analogy for the fact that every one of our movements magnifies the quality we are in at the time. Anger magnified, joy magnified, control magnified, understanding magnified etc. This makes our responsibility very simple… we guarantee the quality and the rest is taken care of.
A great example of how everything matters and how it has a ripple effect on not just us but the whole environment. Taking that time to appreciate and enjoy the quality of stillness deep within us and moving from this as our foundation is deeply powerful.
With exquisite precision, the ‘hand of God’ is made manifest in all our daily workings.
Oh I love this and can feel the responsibility to bring this into the way I live and approach what I do. The first step is to ensure I have a relationship with my body that can recognise the difference between rush and no rush and the reflection of the crane is a beautiful visual reminder. I have no doubt I will see cranes whenever I forget this commitment to myself!
I have had the pleasure today to witness a fantastic police officer going about his work with elegance and purpose.
Every member of the public he spoke to there was a dedication there to do the best for all.
We can find in all walks of life people who inspire us and are that steady refection throughout.
Great sharing Sam and it is amazing to receive these reflections and they are all around us if we are open to them. The power of reflection and inspiration support us all to evolve. God, places them everywhere around us.
It is brilliant to consider that our bodies could be just as important in their movements as the crane on a construction site, with just as much responsibility and power, we are the ones who make everything happen.
It is true that a machine this big magnifies movements,. A great lesson here and it is relevant to bring it back to how we are in our day to day. Do we rush or do we allow the space and purpose in motion,
If we moved with the knowing all our movements effect everyone we would have purpose .. .. I love our symbolically objects on earth have a greater meaning we can reflect on.
What I have been understanding and learning is that work is not different to any other part of my day so true purpose is me bringing all the I am to everything in my life equally.
It is very true Natalie – everything we do, from how we live, work and breath requires a quality of energy to fuel our movements and it is our responsibility as to the quality of energy that is.
The crane operator knows there is a lot at stake, as the potential for widespread and costly damage is quite high. So, the movements need to be deliberate, precise and purposeful. If we could see the energetic effect of the way we move on everything around us, and the harmony or destruction left behind, perhaps we would take much greater care as the stakes are the same.
I loved what you have shared Adrienne, I too have had a fascination for cranes, I just love watching them move so slow and deliberate. They speak and are operated with such elegance and purpose, no rushing, every movement and motion has to be very precise, otherwise the results could be dire. It makes me realise the effects I have on my self, others and life in general when I go into the rush mode.
What if we are all cranes and every bruise is actually like a disastrous accident. What if we would see a bruise like that and our standard for accidents and abuse to our body would be much higher ? Would we then not stop ages before something really lifethreatening happens?
I also love this blog, there is a lot of construction going on in East London these days with taller and taller buildings going up and I am often reminded of this blog when I see them.
Adrienne, I love this; ‘What I saw was elegance and purpose at work, and it was exquisite.’ This is or natural way of working, how very beautiful for us and everyone we work with to have this reflection. This is really reflecting our true, soulful way of being.
This is a great observation. It brings attention to the consequences of our actions on a larger scale. Something to be acutely aware of.
My husband and I were in Dubai recently and there is major building work going on there, as strange as it sounds there was something so fascinating watching the builders at work with their cranes high high up on half built sky scrappers as you say Adrienne – elegance and purpose.
This is so beautiful and a great reflection how we can move in our day, with purpose and elegance. “Elegance and purpose are a crane driver’s only way of operating. “
Yes Adrienne, it shows us how beautiful we can work when we are integrated and loving with ourselves – when we connect to the purpose of who we are and what we are for. Meaning also in our working field – what it is we bring to the place? It enriches life and at the same time it brings the aliveness of why it is so important to care and be as loving as we can. In our movements and with each other.
“It was very easy to feel how different this picture would be if the driver was in a hurry, distracted, rushing to get something done, tired, tense or even trying too hard… this would be seen, felt and magnified in every movement of the crane, immediately” – yes Adrienne and it would also likely incur a cost too as well, (maybe perhaps even accidental death) and so the quality of the crane’s operation and operator must be in tact. And that’s the issue, imagine that if we as a human being incurred a financial cost for moving in a way that was not harmonious and impacted another life – we’d all be bankrupt!
That feeling of rushing is huge for people today, I love what you have shared here and the reflection it offers. Even though we are not working with cranes when we run in this way our movements do have an affect on those around us.
A great reminder of the integrity and precision we must hold, even when we do not work with cranes.. but just live and move in daily life.
What I notice in construction, especially with highly skilled and experienced trades, is that they take their time. They may have a bit of an issue with completion and closing it off at the end, but its slow and steady and with lots of space in it that leads to a high quality finish, because the quality is there throughout the job.
Rushing does indeed create a mess and things need to be done again, and again. Rushing makes for a very frazzled and racy environment that takes its toll on all involved, it is exhausting all around.
It really is such an enormous con isn’t it… The feeling that if we rush we will get more done… The toll but this takes upon us all is so extraordinary, so destructive, that what has been written about here is deeply important for all of us.
Its immortalised in the story of the hare and the tortoise, but even though its been highlighted to us at kids, what do we do? Rush off and try and prove that its all about quantity and not quality.
When we don’t have purpose it is very easy to become bored or distracted, having purpose keeps us on our toes, it allows for a dedication and commitment to life that eventually then spills out into all area’s of our lives.
When we wake up with true purpose we are guaranteed to be working with God.
So beautiful and a great reminder, “When we wake up with true purpose we are guaranteed to be working with God”.
Our colleagues at work can be just as close to us as our family members. We share the majority of our days with them and if we open up our relationships can be absolutely beautiful.
There are so many jobs like this to appreciate and where the operator has to remain very present as the slightest out moment would literally be deadly!
Repose is a simple way to be with our-self and allow all of our essence to be connected to.
Purpose moves in true grace. It’s actions and tasks are for the all so it only makes sense that it moves in a way that is respectful of that. Living in the tunnel of a solitary humanness results in us piling headlong into life. It’s only a matter of time till we crash.
Beautifully said Joseph – “Purpose moves in true grace”. If we do not move with this graceful purpose we are indeed heading for a crash. It is inevitable.
Adrienne, I love this; ‘I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed’, this is a very beautiful way to work, very different from the rush and drive that so may of us work in, very inspiring, thank you.
As a child I loved to watch cranes doing their work and how they moved their loads which where picked on the hooks elegantly through the three dimensional space. Elegance is indeed what I recognised but to the adherence to the physical laws at play, gravity, acceleration and the movement in time and space. So one with nature and when not adhered to serious accidents could happen and I could feel that the crane driver was aware of this all and took the responsibility to behave as such naturally so.
We are always impacting on those around us with how we are, how we behave and through how we move. It is a great reminder Adrienne, as through what we choose for ourselves, we inevitable share with everyone. This responsibility we all hold.
I feel so much beauty in cranes. And you have just explained why Adrienne. The same reflection which is within each and everyone of us, to be steady and purposeful, full of grace and how grand that is.
Indeed Adele. That grace and beauty magnified by the movement of cranes is also in us. The elegance of movement in space with our bodies, a magnification of our inner graciousness.
This prompts me to look at how I am in my body at work – the flow and rhythm I allow – a very cool example of how we can not get caught up by what is happening around us but rather stay true to how we are feeling.
What a beautiful example of movement, and how much responsibility we have when it comes down to us moving our bodies in life. Much is there for us to feel into and ponder on and expand the quality in how we move ourselves.
Great coming back to this blog today and feeling that sense of elegance and purpose and how beautiful and supportive it is. Who would have thought that a crane driver could be full of grace and his work be graceful yet that is exactly how it has to be . He has to have a very steady focus and allow great care in all his moves. His mind and body have to work together with precision and dedication.
We see ourselves at work through so many ideals and playing roles. Thankyou for sharing your observation of the crane and how we can have the same approach to work, with purpose and steadiness.
I think that if we could all see the impact of how we live, the far reaching ripples of even our smallest actions, then we would move more like the crane. We do have a responsibility whether we are aware of it or not, for the consequence of our actions… and when they move with elegance and purpose that offers such a great reflection to others.
The more we accept our divinity the less we need any proof in the outside. We then simply know, that we make a difference, through every ripple and movement made.
I love this, I always live in such a rush and I don’t even know why. I am constantly trying to get things done as quickly as possible even when I don’t have to- and for what? I just end up more exhausted and in this I also miss the gold in life. Over this Christmas period I am focusing on building the quality and learning not to rush.
“I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy”. This is so true but hard to see when you are in a rush! It’s like the busyness creates a self-numbness, where you are less aware of yourself (thus the bumps and bruises) and certainly not aware of the impact your moves have on other people. The crane driver proves we can move with grace and precision, we just need to have the focus and big picture of how impactful our movements can be.
Rushing does create a mess and I sometimes drop back into this old habit, but it feels so yucky in my body, that I have to stop and readjust my movements and come back to my body.
This is beautiful Adrienne, you could easily correlate all your incredibly profound observations into a book. I for one would purchase a copy as I love reading your writing.
Rushing can be addictive and I have to admit I have been hooked, deep is this pattern that I am still working on…..
Yes there is a physiological response to the adrenaline that is highly addictive and becomes a source of fuel. Yet it is a learnt behaviour which can therefore be unlearnt as it is not who we are 🙂 from one recovering addict !
Super honest Samantha and I can relate to what you’ve shared. This addiction is not uncommon and I too have been working on letting it go.
I love your everyday scientific studies Adrienne, something that is so needed in our classrooms of today. Tangible and so relatable to everyday life.
” It is easy to see how bumping into things as a human being can leave me with a bruise, a scratch or a cut: on the level of a crane, these same bumps can be disastrous, costly and even deadly. ”
The bruise , scratch or cut , for us humans is a pre cursor to something of deeper hurt, or an indicator of an underlining greater issue. Technically there is no real apparent consequences if one gets a bruise , because we, our body is the only victim, but there is always a learning and a deeper consequence, if we ignore the bump or bruise it may turn into a ” crane disaster “.
It is beautiful the reflections we can observe from everything around us when we choose to be aware of what it is showing us.
When we rush through tasks it may seem like we are getting more done but often this is not actually the case, it just looks like it because we are rushing here and rushing there, but not really achieving much at all because there is no flow. We may start something, then we forget what we are doing and start something else, then have to look for something we need because in the rush we have forgotten where we put it. I see this all the time in my workplace and the staff tell me how busy they are, but I notice that often they are busy doing not much at all.
We could all learn so much from what you share here Adrienne. We are so accustomed to the huge lie that to be productive means to work fast, to type fast, to think fast, to move fast – everything fast, fast, fast! In our urgent need for speed we have missed out on the quality of what we are here to produce in whatever t is we are doing – a quality that needs focus and steadiness as its bedfellows and not the raciness of a being that s unsettled within itself.
Business itself has much to learn from this.
Without purpose at work I feel really lost and I can feel exhausted by the lack of clarity, when I have clear purpose my work just flows and I feel deeply supported by the multdimensionality that is all around us.
“Rushing seems to get things done, but if the crane driver followed this theory, it would show that the opposite is true: rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.” I personally have got caught in the rushing to later find out its taken me twice as long as if I had just stayed with the job at hand allowing myself to stay with the moment.
This is a beautifully written blog Adrienne that allows us to appreciate the purpose and authority of our elegance and grace to complete our daily responsibilities – one step at a time instead of racing to the finish line in a whirl activity and no awareness or appreciation of the steps it took us to get there.
The reflection that the Crane brings to us, is quite divine really as it has this real ability to bring the watcher back to a very centred space and to see on a large scale the beauty and grace that can be brought in when you truly focus on what’s in front of you and give it your all.
Today I have been looking at all sorts of houses and why/how they were built, and it struck me the ones that truly had people in mind not just profit were the houses that looked and felt the best.
What our purpose will always effect the end product.
Great to revisit this blog and be reminded of how responsible we all are when we are going about our daily activities, in how we move and how we express, because everything has an effect on everything else.
There is something about watching a crane driver operating the crane, and the way they manoeuvre the huge long arm with great precision and care. It’s something quite mesmerising and calming, its like our bodies can relate to the process of doing everything from a purpose and depth of presence.
Moving with elegance, purpose and with a steadiness that is unhurried has a completely different feel to the one we often work with, which is stressed, rushed and often with a limited commitment. The crane in action is defiantly a great marker for how graceful working in a certain quality can be.
I love how so much is offered to us in reflection by life and the detail that you read from watching the crane and it’s driver.
I have found living and working with purpose truly satisfying…it’s like having a turbo boost energywise and ignites more joy.
Very true Rachel. True energy and vitality comes from living with purpose, and because this is our most natural way of being it activates a joy like nothing else.
Moving with the steady and solid connection is key and so beautiful how you saw this reflection with the crane. When we are open to seeing what is around us then we are constantly reminded to come back to the connection within and share all of this essence in all that we do. No compromise is what I am working on.
“When we do not have true purpose at work we are like drift wood floating out to see, having true purpose is the best possible payment we could give ourselves.
Great to read this again, it’s been a strong belief that to work I have to do things quickly and get a lot done in a short period of time. Rushing without consideration of the self was seen as normal. Thank you for sharing your observations, I particularly liked this line about how work can be “slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed.” It’s very different to rushed, stressed and feeling smashed at the end of a work day!
Feeling inspired to explore my accountability in the way I go about all the activities in my day and how I take great care with some aspects but it’s like I switch off when doing other things and then allow openings for rush or complication that impact my body and everything around me.
Beautiful analogy of the reflection we offer when we bring elegance and purpose to our work. It may not have such obviously dangerous implications when we rush and hurt ourselves but it is still deeply felt by ourselves and others as well as playing out in our bodies and holding us back.
The purposeful and deliberate movements of a crane are a great example of how we can all move and that ‘less haste makes more speed’. Thank you for this powerful image.
The importance of stopping and taking notice of when we are bumping and hurting ourselves is one that is very easily overlooked by putting more focus on what it is that we are doing and what needs to get done. When we work in connection with ourselves and honour what we feel then everything simply flows beautifully.
The question ought to be asked… why are we more willing to accept the great harm rushing has to our bodies than we are about the equally as great harm a crane has on a construction site when rushing? Are we less worth than those who are in the new building or are paying for its construction?
Symbolism offers so much and this is so clear in this article. ‘I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the workside of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy’. We make choices everyday that play out either by creating havoc or by bringing healing. We either heal or harm. Thank you for this powerful reminder and reflection.
I know when I rush at work, I tend to make mistakes which means it is often more time consuming. Going into rush and moving fast doesn’t always mean we get things done quicker because we are more likely to make mistakes if we choose to work without care or quality. Your example of the cranes really highlights how moving with gentleness and care is very important no matter what our surrounds are.
This is a valuable message for us all to be aware of – that we magnify the energy we align to. Behind our every movement, our every expression is an energy first, and it is the awareness of what energy it is that we are aligning to, that allows us to bring the quality of presence, that is purposeful, steady and holds grace, in all that we do.
Work is something that has taken me some adjusting too. I naturally always leaned toward working in a purposeful and rhythmic way, but was put off many jobs seemingly because I couldn’t “handle it” one of the most empowering tools in this situation was to apply the esoteric teaching “observe and not absorb” – the world has to date not made its systems about quality and service for people but continues to run them for self gain and when one comes along to expose this it is a startling reminder.
The invitation to connect with the elegance and purpose you share is an absolute joy to feel. On re-reading this blog I can feel my body respond with a knowing that there is an in credible beauty waiting to ripple out from with-in when choosing to move with true purpose.
The view from my window has many cranes which I love to watch, reading your blog make me appreciate the reflection they offer.
With the sheer size and power of a crane, it’s easy to see if it’s movements are responsible and whether they are safe and not harming to everyone around, as you say the consequences are awful if they’re not. It would be interesting if we were to operate our bodies with the same precision, elegance and purpose as a crane, the consequences of not being careful with our bodies may seem smaller, but what if they effect just as many people?
Great point Meg, I am sure we would be a bit shocked if we could see the energy we move and live in because a majority of people move in a way that is not loving towards our body or others. We may not be able to see energy but we are certainly able to feel it.
Adrienne, great article, thank you, this is definitely true from my observations; ‘rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.’ I find that I either hurt myself, hurt others or spill something, break or drop something when I rush or just feel achy and a bit dizzy, in my experience it is much more productive to be focussed and to move at my natural pace, not at a speeded up, unnatural pace.
We also had the opportunity to watch a similar process on our land where the driver of a 23 tonne excavator pirouetted like a dancer… the lovely thing is we were able to communicate this to him… he is now a friend.
Rushing really doesn’t get things done I have learnt. But often I feel a pressure that life and work have to be struggle and if it’s made to look effortless then you get noticed and perhaps criticised for not working hard. I wonder if being stressed equates with working hard in many employers and employee’s views. Working in harmony is something I am intending on allowing in my life as I can feel the devastation stress has on one’s body.
Without true purpose at work I am lost.
Me too, it also creates huge tension in my body when I have a day that lacks purpose and connection. I am much more aware of this than ever before and I can now make changes and learn to move with purpose no matter what I am doing.
I have just had a true movement class with Natalie Benhayon and wow is that lady inspiring.
Elegance and purpose are Natalie’s natural way. Natalie reminds us of the beauty, commitment and awareness that can be claimed within each moment.
Living with purpose and accountability is key to feeling like life is worthwhile. It is like there is an inbuilt love and dedication and motivation in my day that really allows me to feel like i can contributing to making a difference.
We are the ones building the foundations of our own lives each and every day. What we put into our bodies is no different from what we put into a building when constructing it. We can be elegant and purposeful with our quality of our own construction too. Either filling our bodies with Love or not Love.
Purpose is the key ingredient in all we do, and add to that purpose an inner connection to who we are, and like magic we have presence and purpose, and our activity now contains a quality that leaves behind it an imprint of love.
When we are in connection to who we truly are there cannot be but an elegance and purpose. We feel steady and present within ourselves committing to self and the universe.
It reminds me that there is an order we’ve to adhere to and to feel our own rhythm in this order of the universe.
This blog brings everything back for me to what is truly important. I used to think that getting the job done is what matters most, but now I can see that this way of working – although very productive and brings great rewards – actually leaves me feeling drained. And what I am learning is that there is another way to work, a way that has a divine quality to it that only comes from the presence of each person. And in this way productivity is never compromised, it is in fact simply enhanced.
The same goes for me Shami. I had internet problems yesterday which meant I was on the phone to several different people at customer services for two different companies neither of whom wanted to take responsibility for a fault on the line. I was very aware of what we each brought to the conversation and how things got resolved due to the way we communicated, our attitudes and responses. Lovely to feel the scattered energy become focussed and the freedom of being responsible communicated There can be an elegance and purpose even in our conversations which is great to appreciate.
Thank you Adrienne this is a great blog for me to read this morning when I can feel an element of drive and rush come in.
Purposeful, unhurried, and focused…imagine if we all lived life with these ingredients? Wouldn’t life from every angle look different?
When we play small, we ignorantly live in a way that believes our movements don’t effect the all.
I love the simplicity of what you share here Adrienne… to stop and notice what is going on around us, and to observe for a while can bring a profound understanding to our lives.
There is such an abundance of reflections for us to learn from – to learn about ourselves, others and life in general – just like a crane driver. We are constantly being offered these gifts to consider and to truly appreciate.
Reflections are all around us, continuously so. It is up to us whether we read and appreciate them or walk past and put them down to coincidences.
I love this Adrienne, the movements of the crane driver are indeed magnified through the machine he or she is operating and in that they do understand they have to take care, not only for the load, but also for the safety of all the people on the construction site and the property that is being built. Imagine how life would look like if we all would operate with this understanding, that the way we move matters and can either hurt or heal the people we are with.
It is our responsibility to live with purpose and determination in true harmony that brings a way of life that is in connection with the all.
Beautiful to take what we see in our lives, and know it is there showing us what life is about.
The slightest movement a crane driver makes has a big impact on the tip of the actual crane hook. We can relate this to our own actions in that every movement we make affects not only ourselves but the energetic ripples reach out to everyone and everywhere else.
Imagine the magnification of fifty thousand people walking in unison, and love with the sole purpose of healing themselves and humanity.
What a beautiful reflection you offer of the elegance purpose and responsibility of the crane driver and all of our movements magnified this way to see and appreciate. How powerful we are and how important to live this elegance and purpose in every movement and the effects this has around us is very profound as we are part of the all .
The London Marathon hits 36 years tomorrow, Thousands of people running 26 miles on a single day it said for fun, fitness and charity. But what does it reflect and what happens after the race? We don’t need to run marathons. Life is a marathon, best lived when we are purposeful, present and loving, not running and punishing our bodies for recognition and to prove that we can. Why not devote that same level of commitment and energy to the longer road of everyday life, not for recognition, in haste and for competition but with stillness, love and brotherhood. This is charity lived each and every day, not a one off event.
This is a brilliant blog I love to come back to. It is such a simple example how our every move affects the all. A beautiful tangible example that should be in any school book.
This confirms to me that when there is true elegance and purpose in what we do, everyone gains the benefit. So life is no longer just about ourselves and what we can get or achieve, but becomes more open, inclusive and responsible.
I have been watching some major road construction take place on my work each day. The harmony that I have witnessed between the huge earth moving trucks and the smaller cars waiting at various intersections is wonderful to witness. There is an inbuilt level of respect, patience and understanding on behalf of everyone as they move around their day and the purpose they bring.
It is indeed interesting to see this care and delicateness with all the machinery as my experience in meeting the operators of these machines, mostly guys, when they are together they actually show a hard bolster of being hard and tough behind which they hide themselves but when operating these machine it looks like their true nature comes alive and we see the care and tenderness a man naturally is.
Purposeful, unhurried, and focussed. Living in these qualities can completely change our experience and perception of the moment we are living. Now that is powerful.
Love this creativity and metaphor Adrienne! Anything and everything can be a reflection and teacher.
It is beautiful to clearly see this level of accountability we as humans have as to whether we are moving in accordance with the Universal flow of life, or against it. However, not many of us actually pause and take stock of reflections such as these and as a result of this chosen ignorance, we just keep on bumbling our way through life. Because of this wanton disregard for moving harmoniously with our environment and those in it, we are afforded the grace of being made to see the error of our ways by virtue of being in a physical body which will then show us the exact degree of our disregard and disconnection by way of the illness, disease and seeming accidents that that we then suffer. This is the universe’s way of making visible that which we choose to not see. It truly is a grand design.
Lovely blog, Adrienne. The purpose and elegance of the crane is reflected in your words, there for us all to be inspired to take these qualities into our workplaces and daily lives.
When we bring the fact of being part of a grander whole into our awareness we have to conclude that everything that we do must be done in such a way that it contributes to the whole and does not bring harm whatsoever, and with that elegance will return in our movements once again.
I saw a crane working today when I was on lunch at work and instantly thought of his blog, and then took the time to reflect on what I was seeing and feeling, yes there always seems to be some sort of rush, panic or anxiety when going about work as if it is all going to come crashing down, but a crane works just by moving 1 piece at a time, you can’t hurry a crane. It’s so supportive if we consider doing our work in the same way.
Thank you Adrienne for this beautiful reminder of elegance and grace that we can allow ourselves to be in every move we make.
I have been someone who has very much been caught up in the doing and the rushing, needing to get somewhere quickly no matter what. No matter how or who it impacts or affects. It is very selfish when you put it that way. That I don’t care about anyone else other than myself. Isn’t that a sad indictment, but it is a reality of how many or most of the world is living. Isn’t it time we looked at things from a perspective that includes all of us and not just ourselves.
Before meeting Serge Benhayon, I really didn’t take much care in how I moved, or at work I used to just throw my tools back in the van. I always had cuts, scratches and thorns in my hands. Now though I am far less in a rush almost always place things back in my van and my hands and body are far less prone to be damaged all down to learning to just take more care and be a bit more present.
Super simple and I’ve done exactly the same thing (the cuts, scratches, thorns)… but slowing it down, wearing some gloves, putting things back in the right place – such simple things that make such a difference to the end of my day, and correspondingly the beginning of the next. Love it Kevin.
I love your example of the crane driver magnifying his quality as he operates his machine. Yet we all have this effect, if less obviously. What if we were taught this from a young age? Our world would be very different – and one day it will be
I found myself going into rush mode at work yesterday so I could finish early…. but it is such a yucky feeling when I do this, but it is such an old habit that I want to weed out once and for all! This blog is a beautiful reminder ‘of how I can move and conduct myself with this same elegance and purpose in my own body in the ‘work site’ of my daily life.’
Perfect for me to read today.
It’s so true – ‘rushing makes a mess’. It makes a mess of my body, a mess of my day, a mess of the job at hand, and a mess of the relationships I have along the way. There is no time or space to be fully present and give each moment the attention it deserves. It is a dismissal of the importance of care. Thank you for this reminder.
The greatest part for me about having elegance and purpose at work, is how humble it keeps my wayward spirit who likes to get excited, become arrogant, loose itself in the identity of the task, indulge in the emotions of others, and see only the personalities of my colleagues and the dynamics that follow. With humbleness, elegance and purpose, I understand that we are all learning together and mistakes will be made, but these are never to replace the beholding light of love that lives deep within all our hearts.
The image of the crane is such a sharp one. Imagine, what the impact of this would be, if it moved in the way that we all seem to consider normal…rushing and stressed…oh my, the damage it would do! (Is this not the damage we cause daily to our bodies and each other as we crash and bash around life?)
I really appreciate this analogy, it is simple but will encourage me to be much more aware today. I have been a serial ‘rusher’ so blogs like this are truly wonderful to read in the morning, before I start my day. In fact, this is a blessing which I carry to how I sleep tonight and start my next day.
Adrienne, great to return to your article, I love this, ‘I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed.’ Yesterday I worked in this way, I did not rush to work, I made sure I walked with presence into my workplace, I did not go into rushing and instead stayed gentle and with myself, what I noticed was how much more enjoyable my day was and how well I felt and also that I had lovely connections with the children I was working with. When I rush it becomes about getting the job done as quickly as possible and feels like I’m ticking boxes rather than being present and feeling what is needed. I love your analogy of the crane; this is really helpful, thank you.
“Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.”
This paragraph holds a great signifance, there is no guarantee from day to day of living with a high level of quality and accountability, it is something that has to be consciously chosen day by day. So what happens when this choice is made? We live with a steadiness and grace that simply exudes from our body and elegance becomes natural.
I can’t help but have a chuckle at the symbolism of God. Who would have thought such insight could be obtained from a crane. Awesome.
A great story and analogy for how we are as people. We consider how we are ‘normal’ whereas if, as in this story we were a crane on a building site doing what we do and rushing around bumping into things, putting things down quickly or without a certain level of care, moving onto the next thing without finishing the first etc you would have not only at best a mess you would also have some sort of agency looking to investigate you for safety breaches. I love how a crane is also a magnification of movement and so one small movement from the operator makes a huge movement at the end of the crane. I liken this to our human movement and how one small movement from us makes a larger ripple effect out in the world. We seem to make excuses for ourselves or allow ourselves a huge range, one that we don’t allow other things in life when it comes to things like operating a crane. How would we feel or what would we say if we apply the level of responsibility to the way we move as we do say a crane? Not in the least the fact that we would need to complete what is in front of us first to the detail before moving or moving onto the next thing, powerful.
I was watching an earth – mover on my way to work yesterday remove sand from one pile to another on a busy construction site. The job looked effortless and with such purpose. I noticed the man behind the wheel. His movements were simple, there was a graceful interaction with the gear stick and he was taking moments to wave at people in their cars as they waited and watched at the traffic lights. This was such a simple yet purposeful moment that was shared with many on their way to work.
One of the most wonderful things about life, is how there is always a communication being given about ourselves and ultimately about our own majesty, such as in seeing a huge crane and relating this back to the potential for being responsible and elegant at work. What is especially beautiful though, is to read the words written by someone who is out in the world with their heart wide open to what life is saying at every level.
we had a similar experience when an operator cleared an enormous amount of invasive trees and rocks off our land with an enormous 23 t excavator… It really was like watching ballet of course the operator was an extraordinarily lovely men who has since become a friend.
This is such a practical and visual metaphor of the consequences of moving without presence or purpose and one I feel will be very supportive as an ongoing marker or reference point as to how I am moving.
With such a beautiful analogy here presented for us all, it makes me wonder, ok so if we have such a willingness if not expectation of a crane driver being so super precise, elegant and gentle in their movements of the crane, why do we not tend to see that we are also cranes in life too and can make the same if not more impact if we are not applying that same elegance and enormity to our every expression. One only need walk into a room full of angry people to know the enormity of the damage that can be done when we are not so loving with ourselves and how we are.
I had the absolute pleasure of observing a crane this morning and even though it is a huge structure in itself, it still had a flowing grace and clarity in every movement made. It just shows that quality plays an integral role in any movement made . To see a machine move in such a way offers us all a beautiful reflection for how we move in our daily lives too.
This is a cool sharing of how elegance and purpose can be welcomed into our lives regardless of who we are. A crane and building site are regarded as big and bulky and heavy, but to appreciate that this too has a flow and gentleness to it shows that it is about quality first. If we bring back how we work based on quality then everything can change.
In many corners of society, elegance and purpose can seem like identities that we can put on to ourselves, like an ideal that is given for us to achieve. But what this beautiful blog is saying, is that elegance and purpose are in fact natural expressions for everyone: to be elegantly working through life with purpose – and with care and grace for each other.
In reading this blog what came to my remembering is that as a child I was often looking at cranes working, and I really enjoyed the carefully and delicate way the load was moving through the air in the three dimensional plane and in rhythm with everything that surrounded it. So what is it in us that we can enjoy looking at this delicate and careful movements. Is it possible that it resonates with that state of stillness and harmony that naturally lives in us, that we are reflected by life, a state of being that we innately are, and that these reflections are there to remind us of this fact?
It is a shame that we only seem to see the best in humanity when circumstances demand it. A natural disaster brings out of us the natural care for our fellow neighbour that otherwise often lies dormant or unexpressed. And so the key to living a truly loving life is to realise the discrepancies or duality one holds in life. We are loving to some, but not others, discerning as to who we choose to let in. And this comes at a cost. Of course, critics would say, of course one should be discerning who they let in. The world is not trustworthy. And no, it is not. But far better I say to live life with an open arm than close your shoulder to the world just in case. One night of thievery and betrayal is nothing compared to 364 nights of true love.
I have found that when I bring purpose to my movements there is a different quality felt in my body and it feels much more delicate and free flowing. Elegance and purpose sounds like a winning combination to me too Adrienne.
“..rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.” So true, witness the old adage more haste less speed. Having been a speedy person most of my life – learned in boarding school – it has taken a while to undo that behaviour. I now love taking things at my own pace – not always slowly – but being present with what I do – to the best of my ability.
In a world where most people move in a rushed, rough or unconscious way, we don’t really consider that this is harmful unless we physically hurt another or damage property. But what if it’s really harmful but not on a physical level? Is it possible we wreak a kind of energetic harm on one another every day from how we move? And conversely, is it possible that moving in alignment with the soul is healing and supportive for everyone around us?
When you talk about taking just one day to be so purposeful at work, it really strikes a chord – because it highlights the question as to why not just take one day to see the total and complete potential that is there, should any one of us choose to move in such a way that brings true purpose to work.
This example is magnificent. I am deeply inspired by the level of awareness you brought to the piece of the ripple effect of our movement. The crane simply shows us that if we would treat our body in the same way, much more integrity would be practised and hence more togetherness would be felt toward the all (all people in life, around you). The simply making it about all people with all the actions you do, makes a lot of sense when we compare it to this very physical situation; the crane, people who work in it and stir the wheel so the speak. But, this simply applies to all. As a wave in the water, it has a ripple effect on everyone – everything that we do. Denying this fact, makes this fact still be present every day. Beautiful, thank you for your truth, Adrienne.
“….rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.” This is so obvious in my everyday life. Even as I type I can rush and make typos, then have to retrace my steps. Whereas if I slowed down, it would in effect take less time. Rushing is not the answer! Slow purposeful movements take us there. The fable of the tortoise and the hare come to mind.
I love how the observation of an everyday event can bring so much awareness
Interesting to consider that as things get larger, it amplifies the movement behind it. Likewise in life as we become involved in larger projects our movements are amplified more and more and we cannot ‘get away’ with crashing around as it leads to problems and destruction.
I really love this, and your ability to clock the divine law in action, Adrienne. Knowing its obvious size and therefore the magnitude of impact/damage it would have should something go wrong, much care and consideration is in place, and it becomes humble enough to go slow. Maybe if we are fully aware of our grandness and magnificence and the impact we are having on each other and to the entire Universe, perhaps our movement would be executed with the same approach.
I agree Fumiyo. Being aware of and accepting who we truly are and reflecting this in our movements brings a different quality to relationship with self and others.
This blog provides us with a great analogy for life in many ways. Not only being able to picture how a crane works and then to see how it would work in the rush. But to also see the many parts there are to a crane, the driver is one, the supervisor, the guide or dogman, the loaders and unloaders and the many other parts there are to this one operation. The work sites usually aren’t a place that have no organisation or structure or boundaries or rules and in this it supports the operation or the relationships with everything else. The main part I took from this today was that we all work together doing our part and this supports everything else. We seem to live currently where the crane would take the credit for everything and yet without the other cogs in the wheel the crane is pretty much just a big machine. We are possibly neglecting our part or the parts of others in appreciating what goes on around us. Simply as this blog has done it goes along way into being able to see everything if you appreciate a part.
I love what you describe here and love coming back to it. This shows quite simply how our every move has an enormous impact on everything.
The loving reflection you offer here is so inspiring and beautiful to feel of the elegance and true purpose of work done with a quality and integrity is everything Thank you.
This blog gives me an idea of what it would be like to be huge, like a giant walking through a city or a town, how every move has the potential to squash buildings and homes, or to send people running and scared. It makes me consider how I could move through life, more cautious and aware of what is around me, like a giant moving through space that belongs to other people, I must learn to move with more respect.
I love to consider the magnification of our movements, like the crane moving fluidly, we can offer the same in our smaller actions and the ripple effect on our environment, moving with grace and ease in consideration of everyone. I love to further consider the idea that how we move is a global action, felt on the other side of the world, an energetic outplay that is beyond what the eyes can see but I can feel is happening all the same.
I have always been mesmerized by the beauty of cranes too Adrienne, they just draw my attention and I would stop and look at them. There is such beauty in steadiness and in building from a true foundation.
So true, when operating an apparatus of such scale, a great care, awareness and commitment are needed. If we only see ourselves as a physical body separated from everyone and everything else, we might think we are free to do whatever we want and however we want; but if we are actually more than just the tiny physical frame and a part of a big, gigantic whole that is being moved under some masterful skills, it becomes obvious that our every movement counts and has affects on everything else in the whole and its master plan.
There is such a difference to working with a sense of purpose bringing all of my presence to work and engaging as openly as I can, compared to working in a tension or focus of just trying to get everything done and achieving deadlines. That difference can definitely be described in the presence of joy or with the latter working in nervous tension with a lack of joy.
This reflects that there is a quality in which things can be done that is very beautiful and expansive. If we rush things or push ourselves, then we are at the expense of exhaustion – But if we allow ourselves the space that is needed, then with it comes a very steady flow.
Thank you for a great reminder of the grander size of rushing and the effects that it leaves on others. I could just imagine the mess that would be left behind if the crane driver chose not to work with a level of presence that was not steady and in time with the elements. Interesting to note that the same applies to all actions and the bruises and bumps are a timely reminder to slow down and appreciate that the effects are felt even in the smallest of details.
Adrienne, I love the analogy that you have used with the crane driver and your own day at work. As you have said, rushing things may appear to get them done, but it comes most often with mistakes and with breaking things, and if not that, then it does come with an un-safe feeling in general. A crane cannot afford to be rushed as the risks are far too great damage-wise. But why is it then that we don’t value the smaller things that we do and do them with focus and precision? We have such an approach of rush rush rush to get things done, to tick a box and to move onto the next thing, but this does not honour the quality that we can bring to the job. This is a great reminder for me today to not rush, but to instead bring the quality that is needed and deserved for us all.
Gosh, I love this analogy. It really paints a very clear picture of the impact we can have when we are rushing and getting caught up in our day and the war zone it leaves in our wake.
I love what you are sharing here Adrienne. All that we do brings something to the world and contributes to the whole that then makes our everyday living. The more we take care of the way we do things, allowing us to be precise, graceful and purposeful the more we all benefit from this quality of care and that everything matters and the more we will see that the quality we are in is what matters only and not the many things that we do.
A great reflection of consistency in power – a confirmation of the importance of our quality, enduring dedication, consistency and precision and the need to be super present in our every movement – for we are part of a whole purpose and no part is equal or greater than another.
“Standing there, I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy.” This has just made me reflect at how our movements are so important and the impact of rushing around with nervous energy can cause in our working and personal life.
“A crane cannot help but magnify the quality in which the driver operates it.” A revealing parallel in how we operate our body can have an affect on us as well as all those around us.
Thank you Adrienne for bring to our attention that whatever it is that we align to, the purpose of our next choice, is exactly what we magnify through our every movement. This takes responsibility to a whole new level where we are the ones that have the choice as to what energy it is that we bring to work and share in our lives, in general.
On a day when I’ve been unusually bumping into things this is a true reminder of presence and grace that I was asking myself to take notice of. How abusive to ignore these bumps and jolts, we wouldn’t do that with our cars!
The crane in this story is indeed a magnifier for us all, for how we can be in life, as you say, with elegance, care and purpose, or having a negative impact on those around us as we carelessly rush and push ourselves through life. The great thing for the crane driver is how the care he must take is magnified as is his awareness of those around him. The world would really benefit if we all moved through life this same way.
“rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.”
This happens all the time, rushing with the focus on the end result often never matches up to our expectations because our expectations want the quality that only comes when we don’t rush but are present in the moments leading to the end result. And even then I find when working with the moment and not rushing the end result is even better than the expected outcome. So really we are completely lied to if we go about our day rushing or working towards an end expectation.
The symbolism of the crane really highlights the transition movement – it’s the FROM A to B that counts just as much as the relative destinations. How we get where ever we are going determines the quality we arrive in.
Looking out in to the world with such sensitivity that you can see grace and human nature in the most extraordinary of places is a beautiful thing to read and share and to be a part of.
This is a beautiful observation and it shows when we allow ourselves to observe and take in what is happening around us on a daily basis and then, as you did Adrienne, put it into words, or at least stop and feel the impact and its working, there is much to learn, enjoy and marvel at.
This is by no means a new theory and in fact we have many little sayings that support this and possibly the most famous is the story of the tortoise and the hare. As Adrienne is saying, “Rushing seems to get things done, but if the crane driver followed this theory, it would show that the opposite is true: rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.” Quality of movement plays a huge roll in how we are and how things feel and with the world on fast forward it’s hard to catch up on the rush, impossible in fact. We aren’t meant to catch the runaway train but we are here to return to a deep quality of movement. Adrienne you have done this so well and you can feel the majestic way of the crane in your story. More and more the dedication to simply moving is supporting everything else around me.
I was waiting at a large intersection the other day on my way to work and saw such elegance that you have shared Adrienne Hutchins between the men fixing a fence together on a main construction site. There was no one taking the lead, each person assisted the other with the equipment and you could tell by their body language they were both having a good laugh and chat as they constructed the fence line. There was no speed but a steady pace that showed the job was done in no time and with a quality in the teamwork. This movement was their everyday but to me the onlooker a great reminder of the quality we can all bring to our work.
Adrienne, its great to come back to your article, I love this, ‘There is much beauty to feel and see in this level of commitment, awareness and care in action. It is an unexpected reminder of how I can move and conduct myself with this same elegance and purpose in my own body in the ‘work site’ of my daily life.’ I can feel the responsibility that we all have in our ‘worksites of daily life’ to move carefully, considerately, gently and lovingly, if we do not then this is disturbing and disrespectful and harming, our natural way is to work together and work with a flow and harmony, as opposed to how some work places operate which often can feel jarring, disharmonious and unloving.
This piece is an instructional guide to the way in which energy works Adrienne. We may not see it in a literal sense however if we use the crane movements as an example we are looking right at the potential of our every movement in every day – the potential to be purposeful and elegant or wreak havoc by our irresponsibility. I love the metaphor used here.
This is an amazing amazing example of how we are accountable for our movements and they are always felt , even when small or big. Thank you for sharing this Adrienne, its so good to have example right there in mind. To become aware of how responsible we are for our movements and how it effects the All.
Adrienne, thank you – you make a very valid point here about need to to work at a pace and speed and rhythm that will not cause damage, but will actually allow things to be built – and spot on in saying that a huge crane cannot possibly operate fast and zippy! The idea alone of this is scary to feel – yet as you have said, we do not necessarily apply the same principles to ourselves and how we move – we may not need move as slowly as a crane, but we can certainly bring the same focus, balance and purpose as the crane.
To imagine how the crane would be operated if the driver was in a stress or rush is such a brilliant observation to relate to all our movements. The daily impact we have on everyone and everything around us is catastrophic in this rushed and stressed state but because our movements are smaller we don’t register what is really going on.
This is such a great observation. ‘Rushing makes a mess’ should be something we are all aware of. It’s so simple when you think about it, but we still rush away without any consideration for the consequences of the whole or the effect on those around us.
It’s a great example with the crane Adrienne, a magnification of the drivers state of energy. I know I can feel the way a car is being moved when I am driving in traffic, it can be interesting if I allow myself to observe and feel the movement of another through the vehicle that is being driven, and we are constantly feeling the actions of others and of ourselves. Just this morning I can feel my body move in a rush and how it is a jerky and uncontrolled movement, and I have to ask if I want to take this nervous energy into the day or if I can instead choose to stop and reset to something more gentle with a lot smoother flow.
Moments like this when we allow ourselves to be and truly appreciate another give us such insight. I know these moments too, it is a surrendering of any tension or control and letting go and then beauty allows us to see and be aware of even more. I love how you have come full circle with this at first appreciating the movement of the crane, then the driver’s presence and gentleness in moving the crane then reflecting how at times you do not move in your life with elegance or precision and feel how messy it can get …. and then you shared this whole moment with us so we too get to feel this and reflect on how we live. and the impact it has on others. Do we rush or move with purpose, steadiness and grace? Thank you xx
Commitment, awareness and care in action… All learnt in looking at a building site…isn’t observation a wonderful thing!
Elegance and purpose, such a lovely combination of words, and just reading this blog today supports me greatly to be so much more aware of how I move from the moment I step out of bed and the impact my every move has on my body and my environment.
A great observation Adrienne, that life is constantly reflecting something to us if we remain open to this – I know I will be looking at cranes in a whole new way now and appreciating their elegance and purpose whilst they work.
‘Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.’ Yes!! with a little awareness we can begin to take responsibility for how we choose to move throughout our day, and from there start to get honest about just how present or not present we are in our actions.
Thank you, Adrienne. Your blog is a great reminder that beauty can be seen in the most mundane things when we are connected with ourselves and so are able to feel our own beauty within.
I had the same experience when we were getting some land cleared . It was fascinating to watch and appreciate the precision and gentleness of how these huge machines were operated.
Your presentation here Adrienne really highlights that everything we come across in our day is communicating something to us. How absolutely beautiful that you would see elegance and purpose in a crane and to be honest it makes perfect sense. However, how do you reach a point where you see such magnificence in your day, through viewing everyday activities? My feeling is that it begins with you and how you are with yourselves in all that you do. Very inspiring Adrienne.
Whenever I look at a crane I cannot but help but see the magnificence and might humanity is capable of when our focus is given to bringing to humanity something that is truly going to serve us all. In the midst of this are also the extremes humanity has proven to be capable of when the focus is given to separation and division.
I’ve looked at cranes in a completely different light ever since reading your blog the first time Adrienne. How beautiful to see the magic in all things around us and appreciate what they reflect and show us.
The ripple effect of working with such purpose, tenderness and grace has a massive impact on our workplaces and those within them. Just as working in drive and disorder has a huge impact too.
Beautiful to read Adrienne, a great observation of elegance and purpose in action. I can feel this is elegance and purpose in my body as I connect to my inner self.
Inspiring Adrienne! The relationship between ourselves, work, time and our bodies is huge! If we developed a greater understanding and applied the approach you have shown, work would have an entire new meaning!
Your story reminded me Adrienne that we have the capacity to develop such deep sensitivity that we become able to see our movements and our the whole way we treat our bodies as having the same consequences as the slightest movements of that crane – in terms of how everything we do actually has a big affect on ourselves and all around us. Yet embracing this level of care and responsibility is unfortunately not the usual choice and indeed it seems we can be very good switching off that amazing sensitivity and seeing crashing, banging and bulldozing through life as normal.
Trying to fit everything in, right up to the last minute, then making myself late. It’s a habit that has caused me a lot of stress. This blog reminds me that taking my time does not mean things won’t get done. Slowing down like the crane means my movements can be more purposeful, careful and thoughtful.
At work we are having a new building being constructed right next door. It’s been fascinating to watch. When work first started, nothing much seemed to be happening, but that was when the ground was being cleared and prepared. Next were the foundations, and again, I watched the workmen each day slowly walking around the building site getting on with their jobs. It’s been a great lesson for me (who still has a tendency to rush through life) to observe how the building is coming along. A magnificent structure already but created without any hurry.
It’s interesting how we can take our time with something but not with others. Observing the movements of a crane is a great example of how when we deal with things that are magnified – ie 1 man responsible for moving a huge piece of machinery – we tend to slow down and be more careful – however when we walk or move a piece of paper of type an email it can be considered a small thing and done in a rushed way.
This blog has made me really consider how even the smallest movements count, and how it is our responsibility all the time to ask ‘what quality am I in’
To just get things done there is no attention to detail and our focus is narrowed to our ‘doing’ and where is our being in that time, we leave ourselves behind to come back to when we are ready, but how are we then and when are we ever ready?
My whole body feels different when I read this blog and I begin to feel how lovely it is to move with elegance and purpose. Thank you Adrienne.
Adrienne, it is beautiful what you share here about the elegance and beauty that we can operate with in our daily life and how lovely this is to watch and feel , I can feel that I have the choice everyday to work in a calm, loving, gentle way – this is really supportive for myself and the people I am working with, I can also choose to work in a rush and to be overwhelmed and in nervous energy, if I do then I feel lost and that I am not supporting those I am working with, quite the opposite.
When I am aware of my body movements, everything slows down and I automatically adjust my body, my feelings are more calm and and my productivity increases.
You make such an apt comparison Adrienne between the crane and our body movements! It’s superb and so graphic. Today I commit to moving with purpose and poise!
A great reminder about rushing, which I do all the time. I often push things to the last minute, making myself late for the next thing having to rush… and I’ve become more aware of how that makes me a little tense inside. Of course that slight tension can then come out in so many ways… not having the time to exchange a few words with the family at the door, or clear away that errant glass in the Kitchen. Or slightly jerky movements and banging doors as I pass through the house. There is an alternative, and I feel it most when my movements are deliberate and steady (not necessarily slow mind), lots of space around them and its gorgeous.
This is a beautiful blog and very insightful. We can easily brush off our harsh and hurried movements thinking they don’t matter. But if we were to magnify them it would be much easier to see the impact they really have. I now have a much higher level of appreciation for crane drivers as well as a higher level of responsibility for how I am and how I move through my day.
This is an awesome blog because when we do move through our work places in this frenetic pace the consequences are big and when we do choose more love, presence and care this also has a big impact and more gets done.
Like worksite cranes, our bodies are things of sizeable preciousness that come with their own inherent risks that mean they need to be ‘driven’ with skill, dedication and responsibility. as well as a touch of tenderness. It’s great when life throws up this kind of analogy with its own special message or learning for us in a moment when we’re open to receive it.
Using the crane as an example is very symbolic to all of us in all our movements, what a difference it makes to the task when its done in the right motion and energy
Its great to read so plainly how everything we do has an impact and rushing never gets anything done as fast and as well in most jobs. Elegance is not something I would have associated with a crane before this blog and I really hope the odd crane driver gets to read it, for I’m sure it would bring a smile to their faces and they would feel appreciated.
Elegance and purpose at work, 2 things that I don’t usually hear when I am at work, but to me these elements are fundamental to engagement, ensuring we feel we are part of something that is meaningful. Elegance is about how we are, the quality we work in, feel other people also in the process. Purpose is about feeling we are contributing to a greater whole. Just loved this blog Adrienne, helped me to reconnect to my own elegance and purpose, thank you.
This is so cool! I love this. And is brilliant for me to read. Only yesterday I was moving a table and didn’t pick it up properly and scratched my arm. A tiny scratch. Easy to brush off. But if I had been a crane, then that tiny scratch would have probably smashed a couple of houses?! Every single move that we make matters and every single move we make shows us exactly where we are at. Thats catch on my arm tells me everything I need to know – but I choose to ignore it and carry on. A crane driver can’t be that irresponsible. Nor, in truth, can I. Because even if I’m not knocking down houses, moving in the way that I was moving yesterday affects everyone and everything that I am connected to. Today I will be a crane!!
This is such a great understanding of all the possible ways we impact on the people and environment around us. It is a matter of what we magnified out to the world and at some point we will have to meet up again with what we create. It feels very supportive, caring and definitely simpler to be aware initially and not need to go into clean up mode after creating complication
You mean introduce ‘speeding tickets’ for ‘out of car’ experiences! Not a bad idea. I’d better get my act together before this goes to the Senate for legislation.
Rushing is so disastrous to ourselves and others, it really should be illegal – haha. Funny but true.
‘Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.’ We can forget that we are accountable for each and every movement we make, and can easily think that as long as we don’t bump into another that we are not harming them – conveniently forgetting that our every move affects the all.
I love reading this blog as it gives you something very real to relate too. I love the example you have used of the crane and how its steady dedication is how it gets things done in the quality it needs to be done and how this really is no different for us as when we are rushed we are far more exhausted.
We are surrounded with reflections if we are open to see and feel them. I love observing men on a job site when they are connected and committed to the purpose the flow just happens in grace and elegance. Their team work reflects to me the way ants work
Adrienne, this is such a gorgeous way to work, ‘As I watched the crane, I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed.’ I can feel that often I work in this way, my day flows, i feel connected to my clients, there are no bumps and scratches, if however im rushing to get things done it is a whole different story, this is when I hurt myself, my equipment gets broken, I loose the connection with others, the list goes on, thank you for your observation and a reminder of how beautiful it is to work with grace and care.
Beautiful Adrienne, imagine we have the same effect on our surroundings as the crane does, in that every movement magnifies, ripples outwards affecting all – it would be a great reminder of the importance of the quality in which we hold ourselves and move.
It is great when we are not rushing around or caught up in ourselves that we can stop look and see what is going on around us. We are part of something so much bigger.
Absolutely when we are aware of what is going on and able to observe others, we get a much bigger picture. I
Elegance and purpose – these 2 qualities can completely change how we move and interact. If our intent at work was to bring these qualities the entire workplace would change.
Yes I agree Vicky, the whole world would change.
And this would change how companies go about their business too.
Something to ponder here, many of us would have this feeling at the end of the day “Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.” Not observing how we feel, how we move and what is occurring around us lets stuff in that we do not fully acknowledge. I can feel I have done this, not being honest about what is going on with me and others has resulted in exhaustion. I have found that observation and responsibility for how I am has very much supported remedying these symptoms.
If that crane driver had been rushing the pendulum effect would have created havoc, and this is a wonderful metaphor for how we chose to live our days. Are we head long in drive and anxiety or do we walk from a natural stillness within. The ripples we give out in all we do and everyone we meet has an impact what this impact will be is our choice.
I really love this analogy Adrienne. As I read your words I can feel how much my head wants to get in the way and tell me that the ‘rush’ is the only way to ‘get it done’ the only way to ‘survive’. My body feels exhausted when I connect to it, it wears the consequences of the brain’s propaganda. I can see that I keep rushing to avoid feeling my body when it all stops. You have inspired me to do an esoteric yoga session and bring a bit more stillness to the motion of my day.
Living just one day of accountability in the way we move can make such a difference, because this naturally leads in to the next day and then the next, until all days become a repeating event that we are given in order to deepen our accountability itself.
Very true Monica, even if we don’t hit another car, we can still drive in a way that causes chaos on the roads around us, seen or unseen. I remember driving behind a very confident P plater who decided to take a corner at an insane speed, he spun his car narrowly missing another car on the other side of the road. The other driver got out and in his shock shared his feelings about the matter very loudly…the driver of the car didn’t seem to have any response whatsoever. He righted his car and drove on. As I drove through the lights after him, I could feel the whole interchange, the shock, the near miss, the anger, none of it was still there and it was just a passing feeling but it was there all the same and I carried that anxiety with me till I realised it wasn’t mine! I remember watching horror movies where that sort of thing happened and here it was on real life. So how many of our ‘moods’ are our own and how many have been left by people not being aware of how they do the straightforward things in life? All that from driving my car!
I have never thought about it in that way but you are absolutely right, if a crane or even the driver went at the pace I consider normal we would be in serious trouble! There would be decimation around London, New York, Sydney, Paris, all major cities eek. I am eternally grateful to crane drivers for their focus and dedication to paying attention, taking their time, working with grace and ease and I will be inspired to do the same with my body. The reflections are everywhere in life really, if only we choose to see them. Thank you Adrienne, my eyes are opened afresh.
I can only confirm, what you are sharing here – the more I’m present with what I’m doing, the more joy I have. It is so lovely to feel every movement of my body and to bring my tenderness to my workplace. My body is actually leading, and not my to do list any more.
Working with purpose has an elegance, and when we add quality into that rhythm there is a natural flow not only with ourselves and the work that we are doing, but also with everybody around us. It is very beautiful to build a consistency in this way of being at work, and with everything else that we do.
Such a great analogy to life Adrienne, likening the crane driving to all that we do any how we live in life. Imagine if we all moved in a quality of grace and purpose in all that we did. It would truly be amazing. The world is not there just yet, but it is certainly something that I can live by, I am not consistent just yet, but bringing more and more awareness to my grace and purpose every day, so to reflect that there ‘is’ a different way to others.
This blog is so good, out of this world good. It makes so much sense, when we operate with purpose and take our time, there is so much more space to be ourselves and move freely, and moving this way has a natural sense of grace and stillness as well as confidence. I know when I start to rush and get into a momentum i bump into things. If I eat too fast I end up coughing, living and working with our body really is a divine science and if we pay attention we can learn so much. Just have to say again the depth of how amazing your blog is.
I love the symbolism Adrienne – It speaks in a way that it is so clear in helping us to see what is there being reflected to us everyday. How easy it is to not stay focused on our body when in movement and experience that knock or bruise. I love the absolute presence and purpose the crane calls for and reflects back to us.
‘rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.’ I have experienced this today and also the opposite when I felt how I was rushing and how this was hurting my body and how it/I did hurt the people I work with. I stopped I came back to appreciate myself and the effect I have on others when I just stay in the moment, connect (which is not possible when I am in a hurry) and go with the flow that is always there. I felt the joy in myself and in my work and how I love people and I had a great time.
I love the analogy of a worksite being our life. I can see the havoc I wreak when I lose myself in anxiousness and the affect that has on those around me, often without them knowing. Learning to take responsibility for our choices and how we care for ourselves is such a vital key to living a harmonious life.
Amazing how much can come from simply stopping to appreciate everyday life’s beauty, as you did here Adrienne. I didn’t think cranes could speak so loud, yet now after reading your words I am seeing that there are actually 7billion + crane operators alive today. What an amazing difference it brings to our global skyline when any of us choose to move with grace and purpose, and what are we truly constructing when we rush and hurry in a day?
So well said Joseph. This is an enormous responsibility when we truly consider the magnitude of this. The truth is that we can be in a ‘rush’ to do something but already before when even began rushing we are disconnected from our bodies and the moment, hence setting up the quality before we even start.
I love how you have stopped to appreciate what someone else does for a job. Little did the crane driver know that he would be so widely appreciated, perhaps he may feel it. Yesterday I was doing some grass edging and two passers by stopped to compliment my work, which really doesn’t happen that often. It really made me smile, that these people actually noticed what I was doing.
The qualities of a cranes movements is a good example of how we all could be performing tasks, deliberate, carefull and with precision. The quality of the energy in which we do things makes all the difference to the end result
So true Joe. I often think I’m gettng away with doing something in a rushed energy because I’ve got the job done – but in truth, that choice has a consequence no matter how small and the consequence has a knock on effect.
There is a gracefulness that I have admired in people in the way they work. In sitting at a desk and answering a phone, they can bring a real presence and dedication to it, a flow and order, which is quite beautiful.
This is so beautiful Adrienne. I am discovering the more presence we bring to work the more awareness, elegance and grace we work with, as a natural innate precision is engaged that encompasses and considers all that we are working with.
Inspiration is in everything around us, and as you present, even in a crane working elegant and purposeful. It is great to get reflected what would happen when our behaviour would be magnified, and feel the true consequence of that what we are doing. To feel what it truly does and how it can be when we start to live differently in harmony and fully present.
Having a sense of purpose in no matter what we’re doing seems effortless and is magic to watch.
I love this because how often in our busy lives do we take the time to stop appreciate another and relate this back to ourselves? In a world of constant doing I feel we need many more of these moments and it is great to share and discuss them as you have done here.
I love reading this blog Adrienne, this time around it reminded me of the movements of elephants, the grace and tenderness these enormous creatures bring to each move and step is one I have always felt awed by. As with your gorgeous observation of the driver of a crane, it is with absolute attention to the detail and precision of our every move that we too can emulate the grace these grand movers.
Your image of the crane makes me conscious of the awareness that true power is in and through gentleness and not through the strength of force.
Not only do I love the wisdom that you have shared through what you have observed in the movements of the cranes, I also appreciate how you have shown that we do not need to retreat to the countryside or nature in order to gain wisdom and understanding from what is constellating around us. When we are open the understanding being offered we can gain insights wherever we are.
So true Golnaz “we do not need to retreat to the countryside or nature in order to gain wisdom and understanding from what is constellating around us.” I live in a city as well and as much as I do at times love to see and feel nature. Reflections and understanding about life can be found everywhere.
“Elegance and purpose are a crane driver’s only way of operating”.
What a beautiful lesson for us all as we go about our daily work routines; with elegance and purpose.
Thank you Adrienne for your observation, insight and wisdom.
Seeing elegance and purpose in a crane! That is exquisite and reminds me that if we are connected within ourselves we are able to see the beauty that is all around us.
So true Elizabeth, when we are truly present we realise the magic of God is everywhere, even in the most unlikely of places.
This blog is a great reminder not only about purpose, but about taking responsibility for how we are being and living – not just at work, but everywhere. When we choose to be present, caring and loving in every movement this radiates out like a ripple through water and everyone in its wake gets to feel it.
I love these observations. It reminds us that elegance and purpose can be part of all types of work. This can totally change the way we see different roles and jobs.
I agree Vicky, I also like how the it is the magnification of the behavior that helps us to see the real impact. there are behaviours we just wouldn’t do, if we allowed ourselves to feel its magnification and impact on us & others in the moment and in the future.
I love reading this blog and all your comments too. It makes me to recall my day, my movements, how purposeful and graceful – or not- I was moving and why.
Today I was doing ironing, a lot of it. I also knew that my customer wanted me to finish as soon as possible. And even though I had a purpose- all to be done to the best of my ability and in right energy – and I feel the grace in those movements- I caught myself trying to move iron around faster as it would speed up the process. It didn’t. It in fact was doing better job just staying in one place for a few seconds before moving to another one. More effective with less effort.
So I already see this different way, Vicky. Next step would be to do the jobs in my rhythm without too much concern of time. I have chance to do it tomorrow.
How often do we complain living in a concrete city and not having enough greenery around us feeling deprived of nature and connection. And here you are sharing the most beautiful encounter you had in a city where more concrete is being added. I love it. There is always something to connect to when people are around.
I can imagine an enormous amount of responsibility falls on the operator of a crane, taking into account the smallest detail like stability to even the weather being windy could impact his operation. It’s funny we treat our bodies like machines but don’t consider all the aspects the crane driver does, when we are not paying attention we also are capable of wreaking havoc, and just like the crane driver there are consequences, his would be measurable whereas we just put it down to bad luck, tired having an off day and don’t fully consider the ramifications on ourselves and others.
I have always been fascinated at how precise we can be with things we do and build and show little of that attention to ourselves. We treat our self like the joke about; designed by computer, marked out with a piece of chalk and cut with and axe. We were designed by god and left with the whole toolbox to choose what we want to build.
It’s easy to dismiss the bad days at the work site of life as anomalies or to get a ‘hard hat’ to protect yourself from the debris. But what your words illustrate to me Adrienne, is that it is the quality of energy I bring to the worksite that is key. It’s not a slowness but a steady grace that comes with true purpose, just like the cranes you depict here.
Watching a crane at work, is quite something. They seem to command this respect not just because of the safety factor or their size, but the grace and movement with which they have to move around, is really very inspiring and a great reflection of how working in this purposeful and graceful way, benefits everyone.
What an enriching observation- to see a crane in its delicacy and tenderness.
Even the most clunky and heavy of objects can introduce a grace and rhythm that can make a huge difference.
This highlights the importance of establishing a rhythm in all that we do so we allow movements that flow and support us rather than condense and restrict us.
Yes Hannah, Everything is Energy – no matter how clunky the machine, no matter what shape the body, it is the energy that is the vital thing.
“Rushing seems to get things done, but if the crane driver followed this theory, it would show that the opposite is true: rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.”
This is so true Adrienne and something I recognize with myself. it seems that parts of me are swinging around out of control. I need not be rushing physically either, as when in my mind is in a rush, the same thing happens. Its like the load on the end of the crane is swinging around wildly looking for somewhere to drop the load. The crane driver in my head forgetting to be aware of the giant smoothly oiled body below it which will do exactly what is needed when precision, and care are returned to. The elegance you mention can then return to be part of the equation.
I love being a crane driver in my work in a shop. There is sometimes a lot of that crashing around and grabby energy and it is lovely to be still and very centred in dealing with it, especially when it is coming from several sides at once. It also allows for others who could otherwise just align to the chaos to have an alternative to align to – which thank fully they most often do.
Adrienne, since I have read your blog I am seeing cranes everywhere, they seem huge and yet delicate at the same time. I really enjoyed watching them move, steadily and with such precision, I could watch them for hours. Thank you for bringing my attention to them and the parallels with our own lives.
The learning that can be gained through observing life is quite extraordinary. I really loved reading this and contemplating the enormity of what you are offering. For without the accountability, we do not apply the level of awareness or commitment that we really should… for the harm we do otherwise may not be as obvious as with a crane, but it is harm nonetheless.
I can relate to what you write. I am in the middle of a construction project. A ‘situation’ occurred which asked us to stop for a moment and consider how to proceed. The more I looked at the obstacle, the more I felt a slow down was needed to truly feel the impact of this ‘block’ on the project. It took some moments/hours to let it sink in, to consider the next step from all angles. It is like in your example: as a crane you come across a super heavy block and you need to put the crane engine on neutral to take a closer look at the block, walk around it, smell it even. All in order to know exactly from which angle you need to pick it up. There is only one try. More than 24 hours of ‘stop&gather information’ has passed with a temporary stop of the project. The interesting thing is that it doesn’t feel like a stop or delay. It feels like a deepening, a repose and a check-in: what is needed now? I still don’t know but what I do know is that there is even purpose and elegance in a stopmoment. The motion moment after this will be embedded in a clarity and decisiveness.
When I read this blog I could immediately feel the elegance of the big and still but very dedicated and purposeful moving cranes and I suddenly felt joy deep in my body about this way of moving. Like many others here I also want to take this into my day today… and also into the following days…
I agree Eva-Maria. I want my days to feel like this as well. I want to move with elegance and purpose and grace and joy so as not to rush through my day. I know when I allow the day to unfold that everything happens as it should and I am able to leave work with a sense of completion.
I like what you have written, Richard. There is really a huge responsibility in the quality we move and I don`t pay attention to that very often because I am not in and with my body when I move, I am caught in thoughts and checking out with my mind. Before I became a student of Universal Medicine, I always rushed through my life and the nervous energy I was in affected other people around me. I will never go back to this way of living because I consciously choose stillness, grace and elegance in my movements now more and more often and it feels just amazing!
Rushing about really doesn’t serve anyone, least of all myself. I recently saw the ridiculousness of rushing in a moment when I connected to my inner beauty. It is madness to know and feel that I have all this beauty inside me, but that I am choosing to rush anyway. It is honouring of my inner beauty to take it with me into my movements and my walk. My purpose can be to express this beauty wherever I go, instead of neglecting to feel it and think my purpose is to somehow achieve something else.
The working environment is not always an easy place to be but, like the crane driver, we can still have purpose and elegance amongst the challenges.
Lovely comment Michelle. Stopping to appreciate elegance and purpose at work in ourselves and in others would be a great start!
A great analogy Adrienne, and what if we actually do as much damage as the crane could, if we crash around with our bodies. It is easy to feel it within ourselves at the end of the day, but what if it was also the same for all those we have connected with – they get that level of disregard and dismissiveness directed towards them, that has an effect. and even those we don’t meet but who have been living in the same environment, the energy of crashing around in lack of presence, running whatever emotions, nervous energy, frustation, whatever, is there we bring that they walk through. Brings a whole new meaning to responsibility – and to working our day with a quality of presence and with purpose that respects the space and holds all with care and love.
Thankyou Shirley, it is amazing how much wisdom we do store in our own Bodies, and our livingness can truly express some great divine power. We all know something, no matter what we do. And we are all teachers because we live in a society where we all depend on each other, without one aspect many other aspects would fall apart. So it is great that we step up to the mark when we are truly needed and express something that can help humanity.
This is so true – “On the human level, it is much easier to brush off the bumps, bruises or spilling consequences of rushing and just keep going; when on the crane level these consequences are followed with an immediate stop and investigation.” This is such a key point that we can totally override what messages we are being told as it is a lot more comfortable to not have to look at the choices we have been making that are not Loving.
I enjoyed your parallel Adrienne; your observations about the elegance and purpose required for a good crane operator I agree, directly reflect to ourselves as operators of our own lives.
I can feel how intense the magnification can actually be with how we go about every action. If we move with elegance and purpose then that is what is felt around us. If we move with even the subtlest distraction this is magnified. Every moment of movement means we are responsible for either healing or harming ourselves and others.
That is huge, what you are saying – “Every moment of movement means we are responsible for either healing or harming ourselves and others”. The level of responsiblity to live a life like that is really big. And there is no excuse – it is our choice to take responsiblity for eveything.
After a burst of rushing yesterday I ended up stuck in traffic opposite a worksite where several cranes were in action. I remembered this blog and could feel the precision, grace and care exercised by the operators of the cranes. This was a wonderful reminder to quit rushing and bring the same quality to everything I do. We ended up being right on time too.
How Amazing Leonne, what a divine constellation for you to see.
Wow Adrienne, I love this blog – it makes so much sense. One of the things that particulary stood out for me was this – ‘Rushing seems to get things done, but if the crane driver followed this theory, it would show that the opposite is true: rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.’ I have realised that whenever I am in a rush, not only do I make a mess around me, I feel like a mess on the inside as well.
So true Eva. It is all about our relationship to time. Is time an enemy that we rush and push about or is it a friend, simply marking the cycles, as we forever deepen and expand?
Thank you Adrianne for the reminder of the beauty and elegance of movement when I am connected with my body and the continuous and purposeful flow to life.
little levers pushed and pulled by a person in a little box sitting on this enormous structure lifting and moving huge weights over comparatively huge distances. The responsibility is huge and yet there is something about the picture that doesn’t feel too safe, as who is in control is subject to many influences.
Thank you Adrienne. I had to smile reading this as it is so pertinent for me right now. I can set up my whole morning to be steady and connected (prepared for by the previous evening) and yet when I sit down to work on the tasks for my workday, I can so quickly go into a rush, a hardened way of being with myself, having an expectation of what I need to finish in a given time period, to tick things off the list to feel good about myself that day.
You describe it beautifully, bringing my awareness to the responsibility I have in how this nervous energy effects not only me but my family and everyone around me. I also see how it is a clever trick that my mind plays with me to keep me less, to make feel incapable and incompetent because once that nervous energy kicks in, I am completely unproductive, flitting from one task to another and not completing things, doing the things that are not priorities and leaving the important stuff so it accumulates, confirming the feeling that I am not enough and perpetuating the cycle, so that the next day there is even more to do and more reason to go into the rush! So, I completely lose the quality of presence that I bring.
From now on, I am going to catch those thoughts that enter before they drive me into a rush, seeing this pattern for what it is and let it go, knowing that I am enough before I even engage in my tasks for the day and being content with whatever is accomplished by the end of the day.
I have found that we actually have a magnifier in our body that allows us to feel when we are or not, moving with the care, precision and presence that you have seen magnified in the movements of the crane. Once we get to know the marker in our body of these qualities (as normal) this highlights when we are moving with care and precision or when we are rushing and harsh.
“Elegance and purpose are a crane driver’s only way of operating. There is much beauty to feel and see in this level of commitment, awareness and care in action”
There is indeed much beauty, thank you Adrienne for highlighting commitment, awareness and care in action.
A poignant lesson for us all.
Reading your blog again today I realised how this relates to the car I drive at the moment. My car although it is incredibly smooth to drive and very comfortable, is extremely long and thus more difficult to manoeuvre in and out of small spaces or to turn. I can feel how when I am in a rush I blame the car for being too long rather than feeling the amazing opportunity I have to feel that moment of grace and purpose as I stay gentle with my body and take my time to drive the car.
Elegance and purpose at work is such a great way to view our everyday.
I love how you are able to see the elegance that is there to be seen when a crane driver moves his earth moving equipment with purpose, awareness and focus. Our bodies would look vastly different if we were to move with that level of responsibility.
I agree Elizabeth – to take full responsibility for every movement we make would be life changing.
Thanks for the reminder, Adrienne, of how many times I “brush off the bumps, bruises or spilling consequences of rushing and just keep going”, rather than stop and consider the harm I am doing to my body and the impact on all around me.
I can no longer look at the cranes that reside over the London skyline without thinking about you and your blog Adrienne, it has been a constant reminder to be more present in everything I do as I see them all the time as there is loads of big new buildings going up in and around London.
Absolutely Kevin. Cranes will never be the same again. They will always be reminders of elegance, grace, precision and purpose!
“On the human level, it is much easier to brush off the bumps, bruises or spilling consequences of rushing and just keep going; when on the crane level these consequences are followed with an immediate stop and investigation.” So true Adrienne if were able to see the real damage we do to our bodies in the same way that a crane can do damage maybe we would take more time, slow down and be aware of our bodies more.
Your last words in your comment resonate in me – the slowing down bit. I’m still often too fast, too racy, and it is so important for me to slow down and to surrender. To be aware of my body is so crucial, a big reminder where I’m at.
Yes Shirley-Ann, I hear what you are saying with your description of the safety side and attention to detail of even the exact moment to release something. I had to teach a novel to HSC students about tunnel building and bridge building in Canada’s early days, and I was stunned at the detailed description of what goes on with bridge building, with men swinging on ropes to a certain rhythm to guide pylons into the water. These men really had to be present in their bodies. On top of that it would be every bit as challenging as having to go into theatre to do surgery everyday.
There is a real responsibility around staying with ourselves when there is chaos or busyness so as not to add to the already unsettled situation. I know for myself if I choose to stay with my own breath and rhythm during a stressful or busy moment, it definitely helps to redirect the energies flying around and can bring more stability to the moment. It is so lovely when you can feel the energy trying to influence you and you can call it out and focus on your own loving rhythm to bring you back to you.
Yes Julie, it is deeply beautiful when you can stay steady and observing with chaos, busy-ness or energies flying around. Not need to control, no need to change, no need to fix, just bring that still power. All the complication drops away!
I had a similar experience Adrienne, watching hay bales being lifted from a ground onto a cart. the movements were so delicate and precise, and I admired the skill of the driver as he gently lowered each bale into place so that they did not disturb all the rest. This is something else to consider, that as parts are added to others, there has to be balance and harmony for it to work, without that the whole thing collapses and some fall off. This shows our responsibility to feel the group and take responsibility for not bringing any of that rush and carelessness you mention in our contribution, so that we can all work together harmoniously. It is no longer about our individuality, but about how we may serve together.
Thanks Adrienne. I have enjoyed re-reading this blog and found even more gems than I did the first time around. I was reminded yet again that rushing to get things done and overriding my natural rhythm in the process does just open the gates for complexity and mess. I had this amplified for me at work yesterday where I was rushing and made a mistake which then took a couple of hours to rectify. I subsequently didn’t finish work until late and my body is still tired this morning.
Rarely does it pay to go into overdrive, yet I too have had a building-up of work whereby I’ve managed to get into a bad habit of being in drive. It exhausted me so much, I took a whole weekend to lay in bed. Now I’m back on the straight and narrow endeavouring to make each work day feel like a Saturday – where I often am more likely to move to my own rhythm and not get too disturbed by anyone else’s behaviour. Efficiently achieving deadlines without being overtaken by a sense of investment in it as an outcome is an art worth learning, like the crane driver eloquently but efficiently lifting and dropping payloads.
It’s so true that rushing slows things right down. ‘More haste, less speed’ is an old saying with much truth to it. Just like the crane operator we can cause a great deal of damage when we rush.
“As I watched the crane, I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed. It lifted large heavy items, gently and precisely placing them where they needed to go. This to me was beauty in motion.” I have watched and observed people who move like this, “slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed,” with added grace and tenderness. To see this embodied on a consistent basis has been incredibly inspiring and beautiful too.
“On the human level, it is much easier to brush off the bumps, bruises or spilling consequences of rushing and just keep going; when on the crane level these consequences are followed with an immediate stop and investigation.”
Indeed Adrienne there is a grand call to responsibility through living at the crane level – As Serge Benhayon has already shown our world would look mighty different if this was our founding benchmark.
Very true Lucinda – I am also noticing that rushing puts a huge strain on my relationships. When I rush I disturb everyone around me and I remove the possibility for connection to occur. I might not experience a cut or bruise but the damage is done all the same.
Adrienne, I so enjoyed reading your blog about the grace that huge cranes appear to be working in around building sites – and I also see this as so. I watch from our apartment high above the busy-ness of the street with a view from pretty well most of our windows at the changing skyline that one can easily imagine as giant alien but graceful beings wield great girders and design intricate patterns with the development and placement of new structure. I had not prior to reading your blog considered the relation to how I move my body during the day, and the occasional bruise that may appear after losing balance a little, resultant I see now due to my not being present with myself or maybe rushing a little, but I can now see quite clearly that what is being played out around me for about 180 degrees of view can be alikened to how I move about myself – an awesome analogy and I take note. The visual message could not be clearer for me to be aware of. Thank you.
One thing I love about the construction industry is that there are some people within it, like operators of machinery, who truly understand the ramifications and long term consequences of not being present, of pushing time, of driving for ideals rather than what is actually presented to work with, and will not allow any of the rushing and pushing into the way they operate.
Very true Lisa. The whole world is constantly communicating to us and everything we need to know is energetically known from this. How could anyone ever be bored?
Great point Lyndy. If we truly stop to see, acknowledge and appreciate what goes on around us constantly there is much to be seen and learned. I still catch myself sometimes bypassing what is before me, much like watching the view from a window on a speeding train – I see it but it passes so quickly that I have little time to appreciate it before the next aperture is before me. Slowing myself down in these moments opens me up to the glory and magic of God.
I love what you have said Jenny. That is exactly how it is. The slow-down ever-present moments are so opening to what is there to be seen.
This morning a client was leaving and said something to me about ‘all the work I do’. I started to deny it when something flying landed on me – I shooed it away but it came back and landed again. My client said ‘Oh it’s a bee. It’s come back and is insisting on sitting on you’. Suddenly I saw it and it WAS a bee. I felt instantly that this bee represented the magic of God, confirming that I was a ‘busy worker for the Light (Truth)’. It just made me laugh as I had just been about to deny that I did anything!
What a great observation, there is inspiration for living everywhere.
Beautiful Lisa – there is indeed inspiration for living everywhere. That is what we are all missing out on if we are in a rush.
Yes, and this is only possible, when we don’t rush. Only when we are conciously present, we can see the beauty all around us.
“Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.” I’ve been pondering this exact question just before reading this sentence and I could feel that I am being called to be more exquisitely precious and aware of my connection to every moment and movement. Thank you for the confirmation.
If we use this line from the blog ‘rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up’ we can turn that around and see the truth of working in an opposite way. Being purposeful and deliberate, taking time and care with our work, effectively speeds things up because there is less mess to clean up’. The way of thinking can challenge the mind but our body says a big YES.
I am saying a big YES to all you say about being purposeful and deliberate and caring with our work Vicky – with my mind, my body and Soul. It will be my today’s theme.
I often allow those little bits of rush or disregard to creep in at work, the knock on effect of this is that I have been noticing how they do carry on into the end of my day, and I do not feel as clearheaded as I do when I arrive at work. The key to this is to bring that awareness of the crane driver to my day.
I agree Naren, the crane driver could wreak complete havoc if he were to rush and sometimes I can get caught up in ‘got to get something done’ but it leaves me feeling a tension in my body and a speed in my physiology and ending up far more tired at the end of the day than I would expect to be.
I wonder if the crane drivers appreciate what their job is offering? In fact every job is offering us the ever growing awareness of our quality and how this determines the quality of the work we end up doing. And we get paid for this – now that is pretty amazing!
I could read this blog every day Adrienne! I am just beginning to learn how important movement is and how our bodies contain the energy that pushes them or not. My choice of expression – rushed, quiet, angry or loving must come through movement in my body/crane. I am learning to love my body for the support it offers me. When one part is not working so well, what expression has taken it’s toll on that part? Much more to ponder! Thank you.
I agree Bernadette, I find the way I move is a dead give-away as to how I have been living. It’s hard to hide what’s going on when I use movement as the clue. I find when I bring presence to my body I feel the difference it makes to the quality I move with.
Thanks, Adrienne. I am starting to ask myself when I notice the rushing and bumping along – what is it that I don’t want to feel that I have abandoned myself in this moment? Because when I am connected to my essence everything has a flow and feels more spacious.
That’s true Janet, I have noticed that I start to go in to drive when I make what I am doing more important than how I am doing it. It feels like an old game I have played for a long time, that is loosing its appeal, but I still get caught in it sometimes.
Being in drive feels so awful and the impact it has on my body is painful. The feeling of being connected to my essence feels completely different. My body opens up, there is the flow you speak of Janet and no pain or discomfort what so ever! Considering the two versions its bizarre that I would choose the 1st one and yet I have done this for most of my life. I am learning to choose the second much more often!
Yes I too can get caught in the drive of doing something for the end result and am seeing this choice, as a way I choose to not feel that I am not with myself. But like you Lisa, thank-fully it is starting to feel really uncomfortable now which is in effect pulling me up more and more to stop and move in a way that my body loves and feels to.
I have just been re-reading your great blog Adrienne and I came across an article in yesterday’s Guardian about a big crane crash in Mecca which exposes that an integral part of the crash is around the developers’ greed. Very interesting! The way these cranes were operating did not have the elegance and purpose that you so beautifully witnessed in the crane in Brisbane.
“I found myself imagining how uncomfortable it would be to see something that large working in a zippy, rushing way, yet this is exactly how I can operate in my day to ‘get things done’.” Yes Adrienne this line stuck out for me as the imagery was very strong. I too can see that a crane rushing around to and fro would make me extremely dizzy and this is true for when I also rush around getting tasks done. When we are present in all tasks and focused on the task at hand and not having our minds wander, there is a beautiful elegance in our movements. It is lovely to watch and feel within ourselves.
Yes Kelly I am pondering on the same thing. What reflection do I bring to everyone when I am rushing? And what is the effect on everyone to see and feel me doing this? This brings even a more greater feeling of responsibility to the way I move, which is great because if I am honest I do not like rushing at all 🙂 and this extra reminder is great to have.
For me, this blog talks about our bodies and how much care we can have when moving them, no different to the crane driver, we all have a responsibility for the space we move in.
The sheer beauty of a crane and other mechanical equipment has never been something I have given much thought to. After reading this blog, my eyes have been opened to what these man made objects can reflect to us. But like everything else, it is not the object but the people who build and use these objects that can reflect a quality that speaks to our hearts.
We can look at a crane and feel how much responsibility there is in how the driver operates it and what impact it can have on everything around it, but do we often consider that such enormity of responsibility is also in the smallest things we do on a day to day basis. We could bump into the coffee machine lots during the day and cause little damage but the true quality of what we bring to our clients and those around us may be enormously impacted if we are always in a rush, tension and drive to get it all complete!
As the relationship with my body deepens I am finding such a huge amount of purpose and grace. It also feels like it is not ‘mine’ to hold onto. The purpose is for it to be shared with everyone.
That’s just beautiful Jinya. Our purpose and grace needs to be shared with everyone.
Thank you for the beautiful reminder Jinya of the responsibility we have to deepen our relationship with our body and the expansiveness in that as ‘The purpose is for it to be shared with everyone.’
I agree Jinya, ‘feels like it is not ‘mine’ to hold onto’, and that feels so freeing and light. I don’t have to work it all out, just let myself be.
Yes, seeing the precision and great care that crane drivers take while on the job is awesome to watch. It’s a pity we don’t always apply the same quality and care to everything that we do, as some things may not seem so dangerous and risky and so not seem to need the same amount of care, but if we are talking about true quality, then everything deserves that from us surely.
Adrienne, your amazing blog has been a constant companion since the first day I read it and a constant reminder of the grace that I can actually bring to all that I do. If I lose that grace and begin to rush, I remind myself, as you say so simply but so accurately: “rushing makes a mess”. I can still feel the rush sneaking up on me sometimes, but these days I am able to grab it much more easily and then remind myself of the elegance of the crane which brings me back to the purposeful and delicate movements that feel so much more in harmony with my body, and bring a sense of simplicity to my life.
Thank you Adrienne for this “unexpected reminder of how I can move and conduct myself with this same elegance and purpose in my own body”. Perhaps I will have fewer bruises !
Even your writing Adrienne reflects the poise, elegance and purpose of the crane. Thank you for sharing what observing the crane revealed for you, it is brilliant how a crane magnifies and reflects truth, thus couldn’t we all benefit from understanding how to operate a crane? Since that is not really practical I would recommend Esoteric Yoga, for me it has provided the space to focus on quality in the simplest of movements. The power of Esoteric Yoga is in its simplicity. This morning in an Esoteric Yoga practice I experienced and understood quality before activity is a freedom from duty and drive to finish something – even with this understanding I can often feel the tension to get something done (and over with) whatever it is and it need not necessarily be unpleasant either and just like if the crane took this approach the impact of this is disastrous. A part of the Esoteric Yoga practice is to go from lying down to sitting upright, I could feel the temptation to focus on the result, that is, the outcome of sitting up but if I did that it would have influenced the depth of connection I would have moved from and I would have missed out on feeling that from connection there is a beauty within that can be expressed out and that function before quality is a myth worth destroying in all of its guises.
Indeed William what if the quality of all our movements were seen or accompanied by sound. It would be very apparent what the quality and the energy of those movements were made in and whether they add or subtract from humanity.
Adrienne this is a fantastic blog and sharing on how when we go into the nervous energy and rushing to get things done quicker it actually creates havoc and slows things down. During the process abusing all those around you including yourself with this energy that is not who we naturally are. So to have this elegance and grace shown from the crane is beautiful and I won’t look at another crane in the same way as I did. Thank you.
‘I found myself imagining how uncomfortable it would be to see something that large working in a zippy, rushing way, yet this is exactly how I can operate in my day to ‘get things done’. Standing there, I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy.’ Ouch the effect of rushing is not something I like to look at but it is very needed as it is a devastating force for myself and others around me and even further away. We have a responsibility to live in the pace we feel inside and to surrender to this rhythm of life.
I can relate to this, Annelies. I am becoming more aware about the impact of my choices in the way I move, and noticing that there is often a jerkiness or a lack of flow when my body has been treated unloving, or if I have gone into anxiousness. Even when I have eaten too much I can feel the heaviness in my movements and I loose connection to the grace of what I feel inside.
Beautiful how you describe elegance and purpose at work and in relation to how we are in life. Thank you for sharing this insightful blog Adrienne.
We are so alike the giant crane is so many ways. We all contain the strength that allows us to be so gentle and precise as a feathers touch or to be a wreaking ball. Its all down to the how we choose to and use the power or the force that is within us all.
Well said Steve! It’s all down to how we choose to use the power or the force that is within us all. Today I choose to be as delicate, precise and focused as a feather and will try very hard not to imitate a wrecking ball!
Thank you Adrienne for this awesome equation – it helped me to stop immediately! If I am going to rush around again this sentences is now my new reminder: “Rushing seems to get things done, but if the crane driver followed this theory, it would show that the opposite is true: rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.” Thank you so much for your amazing blog.
A beautiful blog Adrienne, reminding us of our natural way of being which is graceful, delicate, powerful and serving the whole.
Adrienne, that was an unexpected insight to have through a crane. It is a great way to see how our impact is larger than we may think.
Yes, I agree, which brings it back to being responsible for our quality of energy at all times, and how we are moving throughout our day, being present and aware of how we affect the all.
I love what you say about feeling “…how much havoc I can wreck on the worksite of my life…,” in an attempt to ‘get things done’
This is very true and something we have all experienced.
Adrienne your blog brings a moment of wonderment and commitment to how the crane does work with such precision and looks after everything and everyone with great care. What a great reminder of how we move in our work space and how often do we stop to feel that those fact pace movements are having an affect no only on us but all those around us.
Indeed it is an unexpected reminder Adrienne, but an absolute gem none the less.
I love the expression “the work site of my daily life” the crane is an awesome analogy for how we move within our day, Thank-you for observing an exquisite example of elegance and purpose in its activity.
Amazing how what we observe in a very down to earth daily life scenery can communicate philosophy, science and religion to us, if we allow so.
The title of your blog Adrienne, Elegance and purpose at work is absolutely gorgeous. The feel from those words, truly entices you to choose to do the same. Thank-you for sharing this piece with us.
Yes Julie I love Adrienne’s choice of title. There is a crane in my workplace that I enjoy watching at lunch time. It does work slowly and methodically, with purpose. I would like to say that often the imagery people use in their blog is for me a powerful form of expression that often remains with me for days and helps me reconnect with myself. So a big thank you to all of you bloggers.
I also feel how gorgeous the title is Julie as I ponder on do I bring Elegance and purpose to my work place…. mmm! Have to ponder a little longer!
I found myself rushing at work today trying to keep up with the workload. It felt horrible. I realised that in rushing my posture was completely out and I was contracting my body too. How beautiful when I pulled myself up and began to walk with a lengthened spine and in my full height, my hips became free again and I no longer felt that push and drive to get things done.
Adrienne I keep being drawn back to your graceful article. I too love the title, it has inspired me to bring elegance and purpose to my workplace and my home. The image of the crane arcing the sky is indeed a powerful reminder of the effect I have on the people and spaces through which I move. I choose that effect to be one of elegance and purpose!
Further to the absolute magic of God that is everywhere, just after I wrote a comment about the technological crane being named after the bird ‘crane’, I went for a walk, and there in the dry bed of the creek was a magnificent slender grey and white crane carefully stepping over the pebbles. The message is coming loud and clear!
Absolutely Karoline. A further aspect to the efficacy of the crane analogy highlighting the elegance and purpose of movement, is the fact that the crane is actually an instrument used in ‘building’ – the very thing we ourselves are doing – building a new way of living in which the quality of our movement is the all-important thing.
A lovely reminder Lyndy for me today that; ‘the quality of our movement is the all important thing’. I am much more aware that I choose to move in tenderness and gentleness with my body these days, and now catch myself when I do not move in gracefulness.
Thanks Lyndy, I love the building factor that you have added here – it is so true, we are indeed re-imprinting and building a whole new way of living.
I recall being in awe of the precision of a crane’s movements, too! Absolutely correct that they display elegance and purpose! I have also had the experience of rushing being completely counterproductive to accomplishing a task – you always end up making a mess of something or knocking something over. I love the metaphor for your own way at work, Adrienne! Thank you.
I so enjoyed reading your analogy Adrienne of the crane and driver. Likening it to an extension of our own bodies and in the way in which we move and go about our way of living. Living in the rural countryside I often watch while out walking, farmers with their large agricultural machines/ tractors on the land in particular when ploughing the fields leaving large dark, fresh overturned furrows of soil. The ease in which these big machines can change the landscape, with no effort. Reading your blog today gave me a little nudge to appreciate the ‘bigger picture’ of how when we all go about our daily living how this effects everyone else – either to take responsibility for our choices or to cause ripples of disharmony in our haste to get things done and not considering those around us.
This crane analogy has just opened up a greater appreciation of how much in our daily lives the world can be reflecting back to us, that there is so much we can learn from analogies, if we are open to seeing our daily life and world around us, including people as an educational playground, the answers are all around us to support us to always grow and live our potential as a whole person.
So true Karoline, in every moment that we experience something is reflected to us to learn from – if only we allow ourselves to truly and honestly observe.
Your blog is very beautiful Adrienne, as is the picture of the crane. It is very inspiring and a great reminder „of how I can move and conduct myself with this same elegance and purpose in my own body in the ‘work site’ of my daily life“ – if I choose to be in my rhythm.
I still find myself sometimes rushing through the day when I think I need to get things done, and this is then reflected in the way I conduct myself and the quality I do things.
Adrienne this is such a brilliant analogy that says it all, I was drawn by the heading Elegance and Purpose at work…We can often get caught in the rush of life but not stop to really see the impact and lack of quality it brings into our lives, often leaving us exhausted with the sense of so much more to get done. I know for me when i live and work at a steady pace and with commitment to quality and care, I actually feel more of life, i have more energy and I’m not as tired. Also life finds more of an order rather than chaos! But i have to say, i am truly inspired by a crane : it’s elegance and purpose, that will stay with me for some time as i develop these qualities more in my life.
This is a great analogy of what is happening within our our own lives. When we rush and are careless with the way we move, there is damage, first to ourselves but then to all the things and people we are in contact with. I find it hard to get out of the mindset once in it, that rushing gets things done quicker. Then there is also how it appears to others, are you pulling your weight or doing as much as you can? But over and over I get to feel the damage of rushing. I forget things, have to go back and redo them and I feel racy at the time, then tired and drained at the end. Watching grace and elegance in motion is a great delight for me as it feels like it is part of nature and the natural order of life. Whereas rushing or harsh movements stand out as completely against this.
There is such majesty in this observation of how a crane works and the responsibility of the driver. It is a great confirmation of the strength of grace, presence and awareness of our impact on others.
I love this blog about energetic responsibility – and to bring our attention to the quality in which are moving throughout our day supports energetic awareness, and to feel how it impacts on our own body and on others develops energetic responsibility. Then choosing to connect and bring our inner-quality through to the world ensures energetic integrity – so awesome how they work together.
I was recently in New York and saw many, many cranes in a particular area building skyscrapers, and what is interesting if we expand your concept is that the cranes have to work together in a sense – i.e. the crane workers have to have communicated to make sure they don’t bang into another one! This could also apply to how you have described cranes relating to life – just magnified. Bringing communication to scenarios which might be loaded with dynamics changes the game.
Absolutely Jessica! Beautifully said.
Beautiful blog Adrienne – amazing to see how the little things all matter on a massive scale – great analogy to get the point across there!!
So well said Rachel “…amazing to see how the little things all matter on a massive scale-” the crane analogy really brought home the impact of what we perceive the little things to be, yet they are big!
Amazing, I too have been noticing the bruises on my body I don’t remember getting, seeing them as a reflection of how I have not been taking enough care of myself. We often put our own bodies at the bottom of our list of importance – with work and life coming in as more important and more worth our time. However this isn’t really helping us get more done, because when your body is put in a position of constant tension and lack of care, it will eventually no longer be able to keep up.
Thats very true Rebecca and well shared. Life is always coming in, and we need to have a body that is lovingly prepared and in harmony so we can work in our rhythm and sustain ourselves evenly through life. Just “getting through” obviously doesn’t work because we end up craving things, feeling sad, unfulfilled and exhausted.
What a great sharing Adrienne. I have a strong love and the deepest admiration for building and those who ‘build’. There is absolutely on mucking about with a crane lift, that’s for sure. I’ve seen everything from building sites in chaos to meet unrealistic deadlines, to incredible craftsmen take care in the most finite of details, with all the time needed to ‘do the job right’ – and boy, can you feel the difference.
This is definitely applicable to how we ‘operate’ our own bodies, and that it is our own call, as to the quality of workmanship we bring to our every activity. Rushing just doesn’t cut it – it leave ourselves diminished, and its effects can be felt by others. All too often, details are missed also. We are all most definitely worth the care and attention you observed that day, thank-you.
Thats beautiful Victoria, thanks for sharing. Such wisdom is shown in the “craftsmen” indeed who carry out their work with care and precision, and feeling spacious, like there is all the time in the world. This then shows us that life is about rhythms, we can do it in a rhythm that is steady, spacious and loving or we can be out of rhythm and be rushing because we have deadlines, pressures and expectations.
Since reading this blog last week, I have seen many instances of how I rush in life and forget me. Yesterday I helped a friend move house. It can be a stressful experience, but with us all working as a team, we were able to let ‘deadlines’ go and even found space to have a cup of tea in the sun on the sofa. It seems simple but it made a huge difference to the quality we moved house in. Thank you, Adrienne for sharing and reminding us the true grace we can live free from the rush.
“..the true grace we can live in free from rush”. It is so amazing how much space there is if we let go of the deadlines and just attend to what we feel is needed instead of getting lost in stress trying to reach a goal.
Yes Michael, deadlines are sheer poison. It is all a trick to make us feel stimulated – as if something is happening – to feel important, having achieved something, and a way of controlling or being controlled by others. Sheer poison.
I was just pondering on ‘the havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life’.
There are moments I can go into nervous energy because I don’t like what I am feeling around me.
So I was just wondering what crane drivers do when there are adverse environmental conditions around them. When they can’t give the elegance and beauty of motion as you describe, they Stop! They stop because it is too dangerous and they don’t continue because they can’t wreak havoc no matter what time-line they are on. There is a lot to be learnt from your wonderful observation and the elegance and purpose of cranes at work. When I feel the conditions around me not being favourable I’m just going to Stop – even just for a moment.
That’s an awesome idea, Sandra. Whenever we feel rushed, and in havoc creating and disregarding behaviours, to call a stop and re group ourselves – reconnect, breathe and restart n self awareness and self love. The image of a crane rushing doesnt bear thinking about, and yet we too often engage in the same ourselves…
It really brings it home Adrienne when you make the point that if we were the equivalent of that crane driver – what kind of mess would we be leaving in our wake throughout our day?
For years I have looked at cranes on the skyline and wondered how they were erected, surely you would need a bigger crane to build that one even though that doesn’t make sense, as how would you put that one together.Anyway this question has been bugging me for eons so after reading your blog a couple of times and your lovely using of the crane as a metaphor I was inspired to put this age old question of mine to rest and looked at a clip on you tube of the putting together of a crane. Now I know how it is done and feel inspired to seek more answers to the questions I have always wanted answered but have never gotten around to finding out.
Adrienne, I thought of your blog today as I watched a crane moving some large scaffolding, meticulously moving gracefully in the air, the operator completely aware of its every move, there was no rush and it looked completely effortless. Definitely something there for us to learn from.
I love this description, Adrienne, “As I watched the crane, I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed. It lifted large heavy items, gently and precisely placing them where they needed to go. This to me was beauty in motion.” When I read those words, I feel quite a stilling within myself, and I picture myself watching that crane driver. I have indeed watched this sort of scene before, been amazed at the care that is taken by the driver as he so expertly lifts and places his load just where it is meant to be. That driver would have to be really connected with himself when he does that job, he would have to be a caring type of person to be able to handle that work. How healing it must be for people that take the time to just stand (or sit) and watch that person (and the crane) at work. Such an example of how we all can be in everything that we do, totally connected. Yes, Adrienne, “truly beauty in motion”.
Well said Beverly, this blog has made me stop and realise exactly what Adrienne talks about in this blog…i have been one of those people that has just rushed past a crane, in awe for a moment for its greatness in size and what it is doing, but never appreciating the reflection. that’s because i was in a rush i couldn’t see it, and that is the thing about rush, there is so much we miss that could give us such stop moments to support our quality of life and care in a steady way.
I loved your blog Adrienne, brilliant how you presented to us, and the crane presented to you, how in everyday life all around us there are reflections of a physicality existing that works in a way to support itself and all around. How much time do we take to see these reflections instead of rushing around ticking off boxes of the things to be done e.g. “walking…done; washing…done; work…done” without ever feeling the quality of how we do them.
This has been the perfect reminder to read today – thank you Adrienne: To appreciate all the messages we get from not only nature but everything around us…to consider the reflections being offered, and to take a closer look at the finer details of life.
Great to read this again this morning before I start my day. To bring elegance and purpose to my day feels super cool. Even as I type these words I can feel my fingers become so much more tender. Thank you Adrienne
I was out of rhythm with myself the other day at work and was crashing and banging into things. I remembered this blog and thought to myself that if I was the driver of the crane you witnessed that day I would be making an awful mess. The truth is that I was making an awful mess anyway, even in the smallest of ways. I was still affecting the greater whole by not being in harmony with myself, and not maintaining the elegance and purpose I know is possible.
When I first read this article what I ‘expected’ was to read something about the new buildings being constructed and maybe a complaint about the crane! Instead it is someone stopping, feeling and appreciating the quality of the driver in the crane and THEN reflecting on how they live in their own life from this. That is so cool, and also made me see how I automatically assume the worst.
How beautiful to have the eyes to see the magic in all of life’s reflections Adrienne. This highlights to me that in every moment we have a choice.
What a lovely and very unexpected reflection you share Adrienne, there can be grace and purpose in everything we do if it is done with presence and connection with ourselves.
Thanks Adrienne, this is priceless, each time I see a crane, which in London is several times a day at least, it will be a good reminder and marker of how focus, gentle, tender and present I am.
YES totally agree, Kevin. Adrienne has put cranes on my map of reminders about the grace and learning in every day.
Stunning blog Adrienne! And a brilliant point made – it’s crazy that we fall for rushing as a way of getting more done – without pausing to consider (because we are in too much of a rush!) the effects this rush has, not only on our bodies, but on the quality of what we are doing – the day passes as a blur, and we find ourselves at the end of the day looking for something to relieve the tension that has built up and make up for the fact that we have missed living a day with “elegance and purpose” that we know is possible.
I was in London today and saw 2 cranes very similar to the picture . Normally I would not have taken much notice of them but because of your blog Adrienne I did, and it is true there is an elegance and purpose to them and I could feel a vulnerability from their sheer size, they are so high up that I find it amazing that they don’t topple over when lifting heavy loads. It is so easy to by pass the wonders of life, but when we relate them back to us and what reflection they offer, it makes it so much more playful and enjoyable. I don’t think I will ever look at a crane the same way as I did before your blog.
Adrienne I really love your use of the crane here as an analogy. Such a small input of movement from the operator results in several tons of cargo being moved several metres and accurately positioned in a confined space. The focus of the operator and conscious presence is absolutely essential for all this to succeed. Each jerky movement of the operator results in a hugely magnified movement or swing of the load, just as in life, the energy we are in is picked up and magnified by all those around us.
How true jonathon cooke, our every move is consistently magnifying the energy we are in, which is affecting all of us…. that is quite humbling to feel and calls us to be responsible on a ‘whole’ new level.
Great point, Jonathan, that the energy in which we move and express is picked up and built upon by those around us. I work with children and they mirror instantly how I am feeling with no holds barred. In the same way, when I am fully present with myself, they pick up on that and usually follow suit. At those times, we end up with the most gorgeously harmonious class room, which everyone, including our cleaner, feels!
Well said Jonathan, what a beautiful teaching from the divine science of magnification.
Wow Jonathan that is so true what you describe and it makes it for me even more comprehensible what energetic responsibility really means.
Great to re-visit this blog, as I am doing quite a lot of physical work at the moment and sometimes find myself crashing around a bit. But I am quickly reminded that the quality of action in a hurry never feels good in the body. As I no longer want to override these messages, there is no other choice but to be more gentle (not necessarily slower), and also to consider at all times the impact of my every movement on the world around me – this feels much better!
Adrienne I love how you observe life, write a blog about your observation and what you have learnt and share this with us so we can all grow from your experience.
Awesome Mary-Louise, its true, what Adrienne has shared has offered us all an opportunity to grow, and there is so much more we can offer if we live beyond the rush of life, we stop to see there is a whole world out there with so much being reflected back to us…a crane – i would never have thought! You’ve opened my eyes even more!
I agree Mary-Louise, I appreciate what Adrienne has brought to all of us through her observations and awareness in this and previous beautiful blogs. Your insights help us all grow and heal in a light and fun way.
This was gorgeous to read. I am going to be acutely aware of my body and how it moves. I live near big shipping cranes and get to see them move about and I love watching them. Now they will remind me to bring this attention and quality to my movements.
Very good analogy of life Adrienne, the crane has an obvious responsibility due to its sheer size and capacity for destruction but there is that same capacity for destruction in our every move and it makes sense for us to take care in how we live and the impact we have on our day and that of everyone else through every movement and expression we make. I get really obvious signs in the scraping or scratching of my hands when I don’t take enough care in how I move but I imagine there are many other less seen impacts of my day to day living.
It is my 1st day in my new job today and I will take the elegant image of the crane with me to work! It’s simple, powerful and very tangible to relate to.
I love this for two reasons
– it shows me how God can be found in everything, be that the iridescent colours of a double rainbow, the intimacy of a relationship, or the movement of cranes in a building site. He is not selective!
– and the magnification of this particular quality of an unhurried and super gentle approach in something as unlikely as a crane – it shows we can learn from any situation, it’s just a question of being present at all times and then what we need to know will come to us.
I love the analogy Adrienne. “Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.” Whenever I rush it doesn’t feel good in my body and I know there will be consequences but reading this blog brings a greater awareness into the impact rushing has on my body.
This is a great analogy as the operation of a crane is magnified 10 fold when rushed or done without proper care. As the crane moves the long cable that connects it to it’s cargo it has to remain as still as possible. If a swing begins to form the momentum can become uncontrollable. The only way to get the cargo back under control is to stop all motion and become still.
This can apply in everyday. (on a human level)
What a great observation Adrienne. I have been on work sites where cranes were being used and witnessed one particular driver who was late and in a rush, already talking about how he had to get to the next job before he finished ours. This resulted in a messy job of getting the concrete poured into a foundation and as he attempted to place pallets of shingles onto the roof, there were some near misses with both the roof and the workers on it. This just shows how when we don’t take the time to just focus on what we are doing now, but worry and live in the future, that beautiful elegance and purpose you witnessed can not be had.
I agree, Michael, like in your example, when I feel I am rushing, always something goes wrong, and I have to undo what I was originally doing. Rushing does not save time, and it certainly feels absolutely awful in the body. I find myself rushing less and less nowadays, since putting into practice much of what Serge Benhayon has shared with us. It is amazing when I am really connected with myself, there is no way that I can rush, and also even when there is lots to be done, if I do it really connected, it is amazing how time just seems to expand and expand, I look at the clock after I have done quite a large job, and find that only a few minutes have gone by. I have made such an expansion in space by the way in which I did what had to be done.
What a grace I feel when I read your blog. Your way of observing the world Arienne with the openness of a child is beautiful to read. And I am very aware that rushing is never the answer, not for me nor the other. Lets be the giants we are just like the cranes and move and act with elegance and purpose.
Cranes have now a completely new meaning to me. Every time I see one, and I do quite often since reading this blog for the first ime, they make me smile, remind me of this blog and question myself: is what I am doing in this very moment with purpose and elegance?
Mariette I have to admit that it is the same for me – how beautiful is that! It is so amazing to have all the little reminders to allow myself to re-connect to who I really am – wunderbar.
Lovely observations Adrienne. I can feel an elegance to the way I move and purpose in what I’m doing, when I am present with myself . However, when I’m immersed in what I’m doing without that focus within myself, it feels more like I’m getting nowhere fast or that I can be pulled to 3 different tasks at once – and that doesn’t feel great (or graceful or purposeful!)
Every movement magnifies the quality of the energy that we are expressing. How absolute is that. It’s just like the crane, when it is seen in its elegance and the emanation that it is showing for the world to see.
I love those kind of pictures to remind me – it always has a playfulness in it, that doesn’t lessen the importance but lets me go with joy with the commitment and change. Very supporting – so thank you for another picture, I will now have with me through my daily life. Another aspect came to me while imagining how to sit by myself in the height of a crane-cabin. I realized, that the awareness and responsibility I would have to work, would be supported by the height and wide look, by the overview, I would have to the whole. Also seeing all the people very small – like a fellow human being to be cared for tenderly. This brings to me, that also in daily life, in order to bring elegance and purpose to what I do, it is helpful to take the overview. To not be attached to what I am involved in, to see everything as equally important, to stay in contact with the whole… beautiful playful learning from pictures we can read and transform.
What a beautiful sharing, Stefanie, I love your comment regarding the crane driver having the height and overview, so he would see all the people very small “like a fellow human being to be cared for tenderly”. I agree, we must take the overview into account and not be attached to what we are involved in. A great take on this really awesome blog.
In front of the office’s window there is a construction site. The noise is appalling. Yet, it is truly a pleasure to observe and feel the love, patience and dedication of the people working there to make sure that everything goes according to the plan in the knowing that if is not the case, the cost would be extremely high. We could all learn a bit from this, couldn’t we?
Adrienne, I love how you have brought awareness to this beauty in motion. Your blog has inspired me to go out into my day and work in a more purposeful, unhurried, and focussed way. . “It lifted large heavy items, gently and precisely placing them where they needed to go.” – by living more unhurried and purposeful is honouring the women I am.
Beautiful analogy and observation Adrienne. I have had a fascination with cranes and photographed them quite a lot some years ago. They are indeed gentle giants. And the description of purpose and elegance is so fitting. I love how you bring this back to the energetic quality of the crane driver and ponder on the effect that all of our movements in all that we do effect not just ourselves but everyone around us. Thank you for your beautiful observations. I will carry the image of the elegant purposeful crane with me.
Anne-Marie, reading your beautiful comment on Adrienne’s elegant blog, I was suddenly remembering that the Crane is named after that very delicate, slim and purposeful bird, the crane. On my walks I often watch the way that tall and elegant bird steps through the shallows with such care and precision. The feeling of this has somehow carried through even to the mechanical movements of the vehicle, because of the grace of God.
As you say Anne-Marie, the blessing from the blog is it redefines how I will look at cranes when I see them next… no longer the ugly blight of modern cities, but instead gentle giants magnifying the potential of those that operate them.
Adrienne, I was astonished reading your blog and also that it is written by a woman. How beautiful you are open to all reflections this world can offer us. I never thought of a crane being elegant and purposeful. But you are so true with what you have observed and became aware of. A crane in rush would cause much harm to itself and to all in its radius. I am getting more and more aware of this in my everyday life. Me in rush is harming to myself and to others.
Me too Sonja I really do feel like an elephant somedays and I seem to bump into things or trip over myself and yet other days I can be so graceful and exquisite. Adrienne’s blog has allowed me to feel how damaging the knocks and bumps can be and that I should not be glossing over them.
There is absolute grace and purpose in what you share here Adrienne. It reminds me a little of the Seinfeld episode where George Costanza does the opposite of what he normally would do. What if life is the opposite of what we think too? Is it possible through stillness we truly get a lot done? Your words have inspired me to take this simplicity to work with me and live, as you say, even just for one day without rush and a drive to complete.
‘Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.’ Adrienne, as I read this sentence I felt how I lived in that uncomfortable rushing way today, living off nervous energy and lacking focus for much of it. I can feel the impact that has had on both my body and mood. As you say I got no more done than I would have done if I had moved with clarity and purpose, in fact I can feel how I got less done. The crane is such a great analogy for steadiness, thank you.
One of the aspects I love of what you share Adrienne is that you recognized the elegance and purpose. It is a great awareness to me that beauty is all around us in many forms. However so many distractions can be focused on that we can’t feel qualities like care and integrity that are actual there to be appreciated, no matter what form they are presented in.
Early last year we had a crane across the road from our centre and the children and I would just watch for ages how the operator did what he did. The children were fascinated with it, so much so that we built our own crane. I too remember the grace with which the crane moved as the driver directed it to exactly where it needed to go with the help of the workmen down below and it did have a very calming effect on those watching.
It is ironic that we choose the nervous energy and rushing when we can choose to feel our true and natural quality of elegance and purpose.
Your insight into how elegant and purposeful a crane can be is certainly an inspiring new way to look at the world and to look at my own life. It is amazing when we stop and ponder on all the wondrous visions that are around us in our everyday life – every little detail is reflecting to us the stupendousness of the universe.
Adrienne, you say, “Beauty is evident to me in the smallest act and the most mundane, everyday scenery”. This is very obviously revealed in this blog as seeing the beauty of cranes is a very mundane thing and it is amazing how you deliver that – I have never appreciate cranes as much before.
Re-reading your blog Adrienne the words elegance and purpose really stood out to me and felt very powerful. I am imagining how amazing a city would look and feel if everyone was going about their day with elegance and purpose. There would be such a beautiful flow to the day.
Elegance and purpose, an intricate ballet of movements falling into place with utmost simplicity.
And all of that just because we choose to responsibly live our days – not rush through them.
It’s a really interesting concept Adrienne – that if we rush around we actually create more chaos and end up going slower/being less efficient, having this magnified in the example of a crane makes it so obvious, yet we don’t think about it in our day-to-day lives as we are able to ‘get by’ with rushing around.
So true Jessica
I wonder whether we have found ways of managing the chaos that is the reality of many and hence not truly dealing with why we need to be in so much anxiousness, rush and business to get things done at the expense of our own health and well being.
I am fascinated still to this day by the huge machinery and trucks we use to build things for us all in this world. I live in an industrial part of the city and get to see these huge machines in action and concur Adrienne they have to move a certain way to stay safe and supportive for all and to get the job complete. If we all spent as much time on loving ourselves as we do on OHSing life it would be a very different place.
Great article Adrienne, the crane is reflecting on humanity to be more consistent with all the gentleness in the world, no rush, no fast movement just true purpose all the way.
It is so true, that we can be oblivious to the impact of what we do, because the signals we get are not as immediate or obvious as the crane driver. But in reality, it is not that they are NOT obvious, it is just that we are choosing not to notice.
So true Joel, I remember when I would have to seriously hurt myself before I realised I needed to take a stop moment or seriously take a look at what I was doing. The body never ceases to amaze me at how truly wondrous it is, we can get arrogant and just see it as a mechanism that takes us from A to B, but it truly is the most intelligent being there is, it really is our own in built care system and its’ sole purpose is to look out and care for us, even when we abuse it constantly, it never gives up and stops talking to us. Greatest friend you will ever have.
Yes if we think of life being linear like a line, we would not take much notice, but once one connects to the fact that life is spherical and thus a circle…there is good reason to pay attention to our quality knowing that what we put out comes right back to us.
Yes, we choose to stay ignorant and unaware of the impact of our choices on us. So we do not have to be responsible for being able to choose something else.
Wow Joel that is a good point you have raised here. I for myself have to admit that I am sometimes not choosing to look at the signals even if I am deep down can feel them – so that I can blame the outside and do not need to take my own responsibility about what I did.
There is such a significant grandeur in the visualisation of the crane. The strength, power and high rising dominance that generates an almost “Jack’s great beanstalk”, stairway to heaven, type scale. Realistically the crane is simply a tool and as expressed here no dominance over the strength, power and elegance that the individual in control over the crane body holds within themselves. Each of us carries this capacity to stand up tall and display our power, our stairway to heaven. Totally going to bring this in to my day today, thanks for expressing.
Beautifully said Phil, we all have an impact on the world by the quality in which we work, no matter whether it’s a crane that is hundreds of feet tall, a jackhammer, a pen, a mop etc. Even something as everyday as our voice has a massive influence on everything and everyone around us… it’s just a question of how we use these tools: In love or in any other way?
Love this Adrienne. If we can nominate and observe that the crane only moves the way it does because the driver’s moving his body in the way he does, then we can apply this to almost everything in life. The way we walk, talk, drive, sleep, write, dance, move, swim, type, paint, draw and exercise is ALL done in a certain quality which we can choose – will it be rough? Aggressive? Done in exhaustion? Or will it be joyful? Consistently done with precision and care? Everyone around us is affected by everything that we do in one way or another, and even typing the letter ‘A’ on a keyboard is already sending a mini ripple out of whatever quality you’re choosing to do it in.
Agreed Susie and I have been very aware of the quality in which I am in every moment. This has a huge impact on how I feel at the end of the day when I come to rest my body and prepare for sleep.
I really enjoyed this image “On the human level, it is much easier to brush off the bumps, bruises or spilling consequences of rushing and just keep going; when on the crane level these consequences are followed with an immediate stop and investigation.” It is great to highlight how much more care we would take if we had responsibility for a crane rather than our bodies alone. The awareness it brought for me is that we all know, we all have the capacity to understand what danger or damage may occur with a crane and yet we over ride this concerning our own bodies.
Since attending Universal Medicine workshops, and then taking what I know into how I live, work naturally becomes a huge area for me to look at.
I used to be known as a stomper – rushing around in high heels, people used to say to me they were so surprised hearing what they though to be a large man, but what they got was this small zippy girl with an agenda. Needless to say, there were no stop moments, and I never built lasting relationships at work because the task was always put above the person. I enjoyed reading about the crane here and the calm that is noticed, amplified in such a large piece of machinery. For me it is an absolute opportunity to consider how we are in everything we do, is there a powerful stillness behind it, always open and approachable, doing something once and something well. Work is simply an extension of the relationships we have, how we are with ourselves and how we support each other. I have come so far from where I used to be thanks to Universal Medicine and my choice to put people before tasks.
Adrienne I have to say that this is a really great blog to read, it one of those blogs that stops you and makes you reflect on life in a very obvious way. As someone that has noticed cranes before and worried about their safety as they transfer large objects around a site I’d not considered how that reflected to my life. Yet it does clearly and is something I’ll be aware of in the way I go about my day. Thank you.
A fantastic blog for me to read as I am often in a rush getting the children to school etc etc etc. I notice some days that everything goes along so smoothly and there seems to be so much time in the world to get organised and some days it seems that there is no time at all and everything is frantic. To stop and look at the difference it is amazing to see what supports the morning when it goes so smoothly. Conscious presence is the key for me here and it ripples out to others around me.
The image of the crane and the description of how the driver’s quality of operation is magnified by it, is so super cool to consider. And then to bring that back to the way I am in everything I do and the unseen but much felt ripple effects of that. I know that a filing drawer closed carefully and with consideration for the next person to use it leaves a very different feeling than the drawer closed in a rush whilst I am already whizzing to the next task.
Your comment remind me on – everything we touch, we leave an energetic imprint. How powerful is that, amazing. We have the chance to reimrpint everything in our life.
What a playful way to present how so many people are operating through their day – by imaging what it might look like magnified in a huge object! I have been practicing this – being aware of how I am moving my body in everything I do – walking, moving my mouse, picking up objects. When we move with elegance and grace there is so much to enjoy! It is so simple – the joy of the simplicity of living.
I can’t help but feel like that this grace and elegance that you described in seeing the crane move is actually everything. Eventually we will all carry this vibration in our body and all of our activity will be equal in this harmonious way. I get a vivid picture of when you have described the crane and it is quite beautiful, It inspires me to move with even more delicacy, grace and expression.
Adrienne I loved reading your blog, your observations are so true, cranes and big machinery do move so effortlessly, as if there is a lightness about them, gracefully and beautifully done at the same time. Very inspiring to put our own grace into action.
Elegance and purpose… not two words I would’ve thought to bring together but now that they have been I see how beautifully they fit, hand in glove. Watching someone going about their craft or task with ease and grace is exactly that – a marriage of elegance and purpose. And if ‘purpose’ is considered in the sense of service rather than only as focus, you get something truly divine.
Great point Victoria, to serve as your purpose, changes everything. There can be divinity in all that we do, and this union between elegance and purpose clearly demonstrates this.
‘I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy.’ I know this one really well Adrienne – nervous energy has long been a part of my life. My first big career was as a chef, where operating on adrenaline is the norm. I took that so-called ‘norm’ into everything else thereafter and, 20+ years on, am still undoing it. What a terrible effect it has on the body, and as you say, on everything all around you.
Adrienne, I love how what you share really offers a stopping point and such a great reflection for us all to feel how we operate in the world. I could recognise within myself how often I too will move in a hurried way, how this becomes magnified and the impact on myself and others as I rush to get things done. I love the fact that in the crane you felt so much and it is a beautiful reminder to all of us to move with purpose, true care and to know by doing so we magnify this quality that is felt by all.
Awesome! Elegance and purpose in everything we do. It feels grand. Thank you for sharing Adrienne!
Hi Adrienne, I love how reading your blog led me straight to feeling my own grace within me. The example of the crane is magnificent. It brought back the awareness of how my way of rushing, effects not only me but everyone around me. And also just thinking about my stressed or rushed ways, I can feel how exhausting it is. And when I do things gracefully I feel so different and even more confident.
This is so true Diana, This morning as I was doing my exercises I felt grace in my body and this then carried into the beginning of my day and I did feel confident, but not confidence as I have previously known it. This was a tender assuredness that I felt and it was unshakeable. As the day wore on one particular incident did shake the assuredness, but that is ok a great learning has come of this. The greatest being that I could return to the tender assuredness I felt in my body, even though I felt so very vulnerable from the incident.
Adrienne this was an absolute delightful read and I love the way the crane reflected to you how it is possible to be in your day, everyday and every moment. I find when I am at work rushing around there always seems to be a hick up or two adding to my workload. If I am steady and present in everything I do then the day seems to flow and I seem to have more space to complete my work. Now when I am racy and rushing around work I will think of that crane in it’s glory and this will bring me to a stop to revert back to my glory and elegant way.
When I read your blog I can´t help but think that you were perceiving that purpose and elegance in the movement of the crane because you were in that harmony yourself, because you recognized what you were feeling inside. The no rush and gentle movement you live in your life and you see it reflected. Not very long ago, I was leaving a port in a boat in the early hours of the morning and was enjoying watching the huge transport ships rhythmically downloading all their cargo, and I had a feeling of harmony, of purpose, everybody starting their work and doing their part, everything was in order in those ships, everyone contributing with their commitment. I guess I could feel it outside cause I had been experiencing that in me too.
Julia that’s a great point. How often do we miss the elegance, harmony that is around us as we are too caught up to notice. Not only then do we have a real responsibility in how we work as moving a pen is no different to a crane but in the fact of being open, aware and observing what is going on all around us. We can then appreciate and also start to voice what is not true in the world.
There is certainly a message in this for everyone Adrienne, stopping to look at how my can be or has been and asking myself was it purposeful and was I present within it or did I rush with nervous energy ending the day tired and wound? A great reminder and so relevant no matter what you do.
What I enjoy about watching these wonderful pieces of engineering is the steadiness, smoothness and deliberate purpose in their movement. The crane driver who sits at the control panel has command over the way the crane moves…it’s a great analogy of the choice we have to either move with that grace or not – a lovely reminder each time I stroll a cityscape and catch sight of a crane.
Adrienne – such perfect timing reading your blog. I know at my work that the time has come to address the rushing and messes that I make. It true to slow down and bring in greater purpose and elegance into my everyday changes everything. I look forward to taking this with me in my tomorrows.
There is beauty all around us and to feel it in that enormous piece of equipment and its careful and caring movement is inspiring. To see that all these things remind us and inspire us to be present in all our movements is part of the magic that we can live with every moment of every day.
Adrienne, a beautiful sharing and observation. No wonder children love Cranes as well, they offer as you say a grace of movement and a time of contemplation as we watch them fascinated by the precision of the skilled operator!
I was recently in a city watching how amazing these cranes are. And yes purpose and elegance makes such sense. Imagine what it must feel to drive them in a way when that’s what we feel when we look at them. Such a ginormous piece of machinery perched on a tall building, This also says a lot about the way you see things Adrienne. I can feel purpose, elegance and grace when I read what you have shared, so it’s no surprise that is what you saw when you looked at the big crane moving around. Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder.
I agree Jennifer, there is much purpose, elegance and grace in Adrienne’s expression, much beauty is felt in her words and observations.
What an amazing and beautiful observation and analogy shared Adrienne , of the crane and how it moved steady , purposely and precisely with utmost care. A great reminder of how different is it when we too move from our tenderness and preciousness. There is definitely no room for rushing .
Thank you Adrienne for this wonderful blog. It is a great metaphor and ‘an unexpected reminder of how I can move and conduct myself with this same elegance and purpose in my own body in the ‘work site’ of my daily life’ . We have the same responsibility in life taking care of ourselves as the crane driver has with his heavy and expensive load. The consequences of us hurrying and living on nervous energy is often less visible then when a crane driver doesn’t pay attention but certainly quite devastating.
Beautiful and wise Adrienne. Rushing doesn’t really get things done. It leaves a mess and chaos in its wake. Presence leaves a stream of grace and everything gets done easily with joy and space.
Great blog Adrienne. Maybe because we do not immediately see the effects of our daily movements we are sometimes slow to register their impact on us and everyone around us ? until as you say we have done enough of them to have an accident or injury. But if we took the time to stop and feel energy we would immediately register the actual harm that is taking place in the simplest of movements if it is disharmonious.
This is so True Andrew, When we do take the time. Our should I say choose to be present, for it takes no time at all to be present. We can immediately feel our movements and if they are in a harmonious flow with our body or not. The challenge can then be to choose to stop what we feel is not harmonious. For the momentum behind it is still there. It takes great dedication and presence to actually do this. Each of us that have made this choice, consistently, we are to be appreciated.
What a great observation and point of debate. Yes I can see how you would have to be present and precise when operating a crane and how mini movements would be magnified and could be disastrous. I once operated a friends small crane on a building site in Germany. It had hand levers on both sides with each going in four directions and I remember having to be super focussed. As far as speed goes it is possible to be precise, elegant and fast and slow, clumsy and checked out, so speed alone would not be a measure for me although I agree it would be a bit scary if a big crane driver was very fast!
It is amazing reading all these comments too, as I feel each person who has read this has now a new found appreciation for workmanship and is inspired to operate themselves with much more purpose and elegance in their own lives.
So true Suzanne,
I feel the same.
Watching men and women work on building sites is truly inspiring. For often things cannot be done by themselves. Things can be heavy and awkward so the need for two or three working together to achieve the task is often the way. Watching them, each knowing what has to be achieved and each knowing their specific part in this is truly grace in action.
One of the most graceful animals on earth is the elephant, and yet one of the biggest. There is magic that happens when a body is moved with strength and purpose; I can definitely take inspiration for myself.
And how graceful the movement of an elephant is; all the tons of wrinkly grey, moving with purpose, elegance and flow. Inspired to remember this today and playfully picture myself as an elephant as I move around at work!
Adrienne, prior to reading your blog I would not have considered the words elegance and crane would belong in the same sentence, however, I will now view cranes in a very different ‘light’. Their strength is obvious yet they are slender structures that stand straight and, seemingly, vulnerably tall but are actually perfectly balanced to equal the task at hand. What is so beautiful about your example is the fact that the crane operator is knowingly in a position of great responsibility and obvious accountability and acts accordingly. By remaining present, fully focused, patient, feeling his connection to the crane, and by holding deliberate consideration for the greater whole the crane operates elegantly and flows smoothly. As you say, “Because of its sheer size, a crane cannot help but magnify the quality in which the driver operates it.” There is much for all of us to take note of here.
What you have shared here Adrienne about the sheer size of the crane magnifying the quality in which the driver operates is pure science. To be able to clock the way energy works gives an astounding key that is as profound as the universe itself but can be simply applied to our daily lives. Macrocosm-microcosm.
Detail to big picture. Micro to macro. The beauty of our significance and responsibility explained. Thank you, Adrienne and Lyndy.
“Elegance and purpose are a crane driver’s only way of operating. There is much beauty to feel and see in this level of commitment, awareness and care in action. It is an unexpected reminder of how I can move and conduct myself with this same elegance and purpose in my own body in the ‘work site’ of my daily life.” I too have sometimes watched a crane being operated. I agree, it is the only way to use a crane with elegance and purpose, otherwise all would be chaos around it, and so dangerous. But what an analogy for us in how we could live our own lives. This is an incredible reflection to us all, thank you so much for sharing this Adrienne, such an amazing help for me to take into my day and to the best of my ability, to do all that I do with elegance and purpose, and not be rushing to do things. As you say, rushing just slows us down, moving ahead steadily and purposefully is the way to go.
I love what you speak about here Adrienne with our responsibility in how we move. We affect all those around us in how we move and drive from A to B. Moving with precision and presence holds ultimate responsibility, and this can be felt by all.
Yes Amelia. When we move in presence what is felt in our movements is grace. Truly beautiful to feel in ourselves and others.
As I sat down to read this blog again this morning I was able to feel all the ‘rush’ I have already gone in to get ready for work. Just reading these words helps me to steady my body and my breath and commit more fully to this moment.
This is beautiful Leonne, for at times I don’t even realise just how much of a push and rush that I have put myself into, even in going about the simplest of tasks. “To commit more fully to the moment” is the simpleness that so often can be forgotten in the way we go about our day.
I love this analogy Adrienne and how you have been able to see the importance through this example of true purpose. It’s a great reminder, reflecting the responsibility and effect I have on myself and everything around me by my every movement, thought and emotion.
Wow Adrienne, your observations of the crane are a great metaphor. I feel inspired to go about my day with great elegance and purpose today, taking responsibility and care with each move, knowing that how I am with myself affects everyone and everything. I love the way you shine a light on the apparently ordinary and mundane acts of daily living.
This has been so great to read after spending so much of this past week doing a lot of rushing around. With a deadline looming I found myself trying to be as efficient as possible with my time, trying to eke out a minute here and there and going as quickly as I could, while at the same time attempting to think about the deadline at the same time.
Needless to say it did not go very well, I was taking more time to do things, I have been completely preoccupied, and ended the week feeling exhausted! It has been a great experience to learn from, and the lesson is: listen to my body. Gentle and connected is always going to get me to wherever it is that I need to be in much better shape than pushing to reach a goal. It is not worth reaching the goal if reaching it means getting there in a heap!
Great comment Naren – and what about all those people we have left feeling frazzled when we rush around in our heads, trying to keep all the plates spinning as we reach for that goal.
I’ve watched a lot of crane operators on different sites all over, above all there is that constant steadiness and firm responsibility they have and know which is elegance in motion.
‘I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy.’ This is so true Adrienne, and in a work context I have seen first hand the impact my choices can have. We should never underestimate the impact of our choices. It’s easy to think that we can get away with it, that no one will know that the reason that a team is struggling on any one day is related to one person’s choice to stay in nervous energy or drive, but that doesn’t stop it being the case. On the flip side, it is quite possible that no one will see the flow that comes from one person’s choice of grace, or indeed the miracles that can happen by just one person making this choice, but that again is no reason not to do so. Indeed, if it were the reason, the choice would not be grace.
I agree Catherine I have also experienced the way in which my choices in my everyday life can have such a huge impact on the way that I then work, and therefore I am learning that my responsibility to work does not only include the way I am work but also the way I am outside of work
I love what you have presented here Adrienne – rushing does make a mess. I know if I’m ever in a hurry to get out the door in the morning, I will for sure knock something over, spill something or make an unexpected mess just by being careless… let alone the mess I’m leaving in my body!
Me too Brooke. I will often walk into something or do something that will take twice as long to clean up or I just end up with the most incredible tension in my back, or even a headache. Rushing definitely has an effect on our body.
A beautiful example of the power of reflection Adrienne and the everyday wisdom that is readily available to us all. Another person may have chosen to focus on the noise or inconvenience of the worksite, but for the person who is aligned to their soul the beauty and wisdom is apparent. What a blessing the crane driver offered you on that morning, and then in turn what a blessing your work colleagues have the opportunity to experience if they choose, through the refinement of your quality of presence and movements in your work place. I love how the soul’s wisdom is available to us all equally, constantly calling us and supporting us to return to our natural way of being.
This is such a great blog to illustrate the ineffectualness and potential harm it can do when instead how effective grace and elegance is.
So true Jonathon this blog describes how the quality of movements made in life have the ability to hold and create space for complex jobs to be completed. I think Adrienne truly knows the quality of grace in life and its value.
It says a lot about you to take the time to consider what is going on behind the scenes with the crane and understanding and appreciating the way of the crane driver. I will certainly pay more attention to a crane when I next see one.
Wow! What a beautiful reminder of the effects of everything we do, and more importantly how we do them. This magnification of action is incredible and allows us an opportunity to truly stop and reflect on what it is showing us. Our movements are important and there are consequences to them all.
I love that this article focuses on the importance of movement through the image of the crane. It highlights the importance of how we move and the quality we move in all the time and how this impacts ourselves and others.
Gorgeous Adrienne. I love this analogy. If I apply this to me, I would be causing a few accidents! There is a real difference in bringing that purpose and elegance to our movements – and this is without trying, as this is the way we naturally move when we don’t rush about in a stressful and chaotic state.
And the rushing is such an illusion as you have highlighted as it does slow us down!
While re-reading your elegant blog Adrienne it allowed me to reflect on the amazing work that the men on constructions sites do everyday. Another beautiful moment of appreciation for the amazing work they do to create such wondrous buildings.
Love your awareness and observations shared here Adrienne. Working with elegance and purpose feels like a wonderful combination to take into our day.
“Because of its sheer size, a crane cannot help but magnify the quality in which the driver operates it” – what a wonderful analogy and reminder that the quality of every movement that we make counts.
Donna it is such a great reminder of the responsibility that we have as energetic beings.
This is not what I was expecting at all when I read the title “Elegance and Purpose – At Work”; I really thought it would be about what to wear and how to wear it and then found that you are describing the movement and purpose of a crane and the way it operates, and rather delicately so. What a great description of purpose and steadiness and what a great example of how things can be done without hurry and absentmindedness.
I thought exactly the same thing Gabriele and nearly didn’t read it. Thank goodness my finger pressed the button to open up to this blog to discover it was about the elegance of a crane on a work site. Great example of how we can be in our day if we so choose.
Thank you Adrienne for your observations. I had never considered the way a crane moves. I love how you have seen the beauty and elegance in the everyday.
There is definitely something in this analogy of operating a crane when ‘operating’ our bodies and the care and attention that can be brought to ourselves with regard to, poise, balance, posture, precision and many other qualities related to movement.
I love the way you used the crane to show how beautiful it is to be with our bodies. To express from presence and in the same time with grace and elegance.
Dear Adrienne,
I have, like you often watched and marvelled at a crane in operation. I have also marvelled at watching my husband operate a bobcat. His assuredness and knowing of the machine and what it is capable of is amazing, for in knowing the machine he is able to work with it to achieve much more than I would have though possible. It truly is beautiful to watch and appreciate. The connection to how we run our day in business or choose the deliberateness of tenderness is something that I had not before connected to a crane in operation, or my husband in action. Thank you for making the connection.
To move with “elegance and purpose” is what I am going to take into my day. Adrienne, the analogy of the crane and us is perfect, highlighting the fact that even something so big can work in purposeful and easy way, and with consideration of all those around it. Some lessons for me here I think!!
Another gorgeous blog by you, Adrienne. Beautiful observation which shows how movement magnifies energy and how we can all feel that. Moving things while being present in the body can even let a big piece of machinery move gracefully. I can feel the elegance in your writing.
And ofcourse I saw a crane an hour after I read your blog, against a morning sky with beautiful pink and the sun starting to rise. I could feel the power of the crane and with that, the delicateness. It makes me realize even more that when we move around our day, anyone of us, and we do what we do, the responsibility we have in this. Every movement has an impact, from me taking a seat in the train to the crane, moving around big pieces.
Thanks Adrienne I will never be able to look at the countless cranes dotting the London skyline without checking in to see how, and in what state I am working in. The old saying ‘more haste less speed’ springs to mind.
Yes Kevin, cranes now will also be a check in of my state of being. And we can’t forget the driver of the crane as he/she are the ones who are truly reflecting their presence and being to us through the crane.
This is exquisite to read Adrianne, I can chose to be very rushy and speedy I developed it as an early mode operandus reflecting back now it was often to not want to feel. Feel where I was at, where others were at, what was required, how I felt unconfident in a task so I would swiftly move through it desperate to get to a point where I did ‘know’. Rather than trusting and having confidence in my self inner confidence that has nothing to do with skill. Now I am committed to building my inner connection and this does support me to live with less bumps and bruises and when I do bump it feels very painful.
This is an amazing realisation Adrienne. It would be complete irresponsibility for a crane to more in a rushed etc way and also have huge impacts. We too have a responsibility to be tender and caring in life for ourself and others. Thank you.
Great blog Adrienne. You bring up the question of self responsibility in a very practical and accessible way ~ you have made it something possible for everyone.
I love how you have magnified our responsibility for the way we move by using the reflection of the crane. It is true we think a bruise or a bump can easily be brushed of but on an energetic level it creates as much havoc as the crane would do when seining a heavy object into a building. A lovely reminder to bring purpose and elegance to every move.
The beauty of reflection! I love how you took what you saw in the crane and how it is moving to your own body and how it is moving. We can learn so much from every little (or big in this case) thing in life. So inspirational to reflect and see the effect I have, when I am rushed or stressed, bumping into things and doing things harshly.
What a stunning blog Adrienne! And how timely too. The last few weeks have been like never before in the ‘amount’ and variety of tasks that have been calling to be done, and be done now! I have started to rush to ‘try’ to fit it all in. I know that I temper this with little moments of surrender, letting all the tasks ‘hang’ in mid-air, knowing that each will be done in their own good time, but at some point the rushing comes back in.
I love the way the crane and its driver has spoken to you and brought you this wisdom about the importance of the quality of our movement afresh: ‘Elegance and purpose are a crane driver’s only way of operating’. I was only driving along next to a freeway being built the other day with a friend and we were marvelling at the precision and responsibility required of our road and bridge builders. The world is like a philosophical book, always speaking to us if only we will see and listen.
Thank you for this beautiful blog Adrienne.
A great analogy, Adrienne. What we individual humans don’t realize is that, when you consider not just the physical matter but the energy fields from our bodies and the invisible energies emanating from us, we are as big as cranes, with just as much power and effect on our surroundings!
So true Dianne – our eyes can’t see everything, just a little bit. We are all very huge and beautiful on the inside, it is time not to hold back any more and to show our beauty the world.
What a beautiful observation of a crane in movement, relating this to life and how we move through our day. This level of observation is allowing life to be our classroom and teach us so much. Thank you for sharing Adrienne.
Gorgeous! Adrienne, you have described some of the laws that govern nature and geometry in this beautiful description of grace in action.
One aspect of crane driving is that the men/women who drive them are dependant upon their “dog-man” for direction and guidance. There is very little that the crane driver can see, so the two must work as a one, one acting as the eyes and keeping everything safe and the other carrying out the motion. The responsibility those people carry is enormous, for the safety of everyone on site. The dog-man is also dependant upon the driver they work with for their safety. This is truly marks the potential of how we can be with each other, deep care, absolute responsibility and grace in motion.
You have described the way a crane magnifies the crane drivers state so very amazingly. That long length of the cranes arm is like a limb of the drivers body. Every implement and tool we use is the same, though not so obvious as the crane. The hammer, the iron, the computer…all of them are extensions of us for elegance and purpose, or not.
And of course the ultimate tool is our body, the magnifier of our choices.
This is great Rachel what you have added here. That everything we use during our day, our tools, will magnify the energy we move in including our bodies. The trouble is we don’t tend to see ourselves as crane drivers or our bodies as cranes and we think we can be a bit reckless or rushed and can get away with it, not realising that actually we are wreaking havoc on the worksite of our life and causing mayhem to everyone around us energetically (and sometimes even physically). Purpose and elegance are the ultimate responsibility and it is so amazing that we don’t have to do it alone but others are always there to reflect and support us to develop this.
Thank you Rachel for pointing out this great example of true teamwork where the crane driver and the ‘dog-man’ have to depend on each other and develop a deep level of trust in order to work safely together. ‘This truly marks the potential of how we can be with each other, deep care, absolute responsibility and grace in motion.’ So inspiring to take into my day.
Wow Adrienne, elegance even in a crane! I love it. You have so beautifully captured the macrocosm and microcosm of how quality affects everything. From a monstrous crane to even the smallest cell in our body, the quality with which we operate is going to determine the output, so to speak.
I love this analogy Adrienne. How wonderful to stop and ponder what is begin reflected to you and how it relates on a personal level in your daily life. I feel inspired by this, not because I rush, just to be aware of the level of care and detail we can always be refining in how we do every single task in life. Thank you!
So awesomely written and I can really feel how much of a beautiful metaphor this is in life. If the crane driver was anxious and nervous all havoc would break loose and we would have dramatic effects … to feel this is how, at times, I am within my day and if I extend my actions and behaviours to a large scale like this, I would be causing havoc a lot of places I go. Mass destruction down main streets and my work place would be smashed to the floor.
What struck me is that using the analogy of a crane driver going purposely and with care about their task is that it is such an apt reminder for me to apply in my own day to day living. The crane driver doesn’t allow in distraction and instead keeps steadily moving from one task to the next, creating space and a type of sequential order as they go. There is a lot of learning for me in this scenario. Thank you Adrienne, I appreciate that you chose to share your experience via this blog – it’s very supportive to me and I’m sure to many readers.
A good reminder how our actions throughout the day are magnified, and compound, if I start the day disconnected from my body and feeling, that is then carried into the day and by the end of the day I’m completely exhausted.
In contrast when I take the time to connect to my body in the morning and feel the tenderness that is there, that connection builds a foundation I can return to at any point of the day that I start feeling stressed or anxious.
Thank you Adrienne for your insight-full blog.
Its a great analogy Adrienne…as often we need to see things magnified to understand the details in life and how they are affecting us. I have never really thought about the quality of presence that a crane driver would need to have, but it makes such sense when precision is a key part of their job. A great example of care in action.
Adrienne, you see the beauty and magic and wisdom in every part of life. How many people stop to watch a crane in action and then can write such an exquisite and educational piece as a result?! Yours is the second piece of writing I’ve read today, reminding us that there is so much we can learn about ourselves and about life when we stop to look at what’s going on around us. Absolute wisdom!
Very true Shevon. This is an exceptional inspiring reminder that everything in life offers beauty magic and wisdom – it is all around us and all we need do is stop observe and appreciate it.
I agree Shevon… I wondered at the start of the article where it would go and asked myself the question, how on earth there could be elegance on a building site? But as you say Adrienne sees the magic and wisdom in all parts of life and it’s fantastic that she is sharing her wisdom with us through her writing! Adrienne, keep writing and sharing we are all befitting from your incredible expression!
It’s absolutely gorgeous to watch someone move with their natural elegance and gracefulness, to feel them with themselves, no rush and none of that zippy ‘getting things done’. Great analogy Adrienne to bring awareness to the way we move.
Adrienne I was intrigued by your use of the crane and loved it sense of purpose. By putting the crane’s working and our lives in parallel you clearly demonstrate to me how ‘zippy’ my working day can be with the resulting exhaustion. The imagery of the slow, elegant crane will stay with me, the more so because I love watching building sites in motion. Thank you for a great blog.
What an awesome analogy Adrienne, which has me looking forward to the next time I see a crane working, but in the meantime it has inspired me to take a closer look at “my work site” to see how much “elegance and purpose” is in it.
Hi Adrienne, I have lived and worked in Brisbane and the number of ever changing cranes on the skyline is testament to the constant growth of this metropolis and an indicator of the prosperity of this industry which I have worked in.
As for the elegence and purpose, it is for this reason they are named after a large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the group Gruiformes of which herons and brolga are examples.
Wow Adrienne I love this blog. I could not help laughing at the thought of a zippy, erratic crane and the chaos that would result. It is so easy to appreciate the contrast of that with the crane being moved with smooth and deliberate focus and attention. Such a perfect example for reflecting on the impact of my choices during the day, do I allow rush and anxious energy or do I flow with the elegance and purpose you observed with the crane.
I love your analogy Adrienne. What a responsibility the crane driver has in going about his daily tasks, way up there in the sky for all to see. One slip and there’s catastrophe! We are all the operators of our own vehicles and if we all applied this philosophy to the use of our own bodies how elegantly free flowing the world would be, and much less rushed! From this moment I shall “be like a crane”… Thank-you.
We have all worked with someone in the extremes of nervousness rushing around to get things done but like a bull in a china shop they leave a trail of destruction to be cleaned up after. There is also a less extreme state of nervousness that most of us go into from time to time. In a rush to get things done we fuel up on caffeine and sugar, which just amplifies the nervousness and does nothing for productivity. When I am like that I stop and reconnect with my breath and my body. I ask myself what is the purpose here? With a bit more perspective I can get on with my work with greater focus. I have had the pleasure of working with people who get through a huge workload with the elegance and purpose Adrienne has here described. I know I am capable of the same because I have days like that, but I am not consistent. I must take more notice how I am in my day and what lifts or drops me, even a little bit.
Great blog Adrienne. I love how you use the crane analogy to feel the importance of presence in our body in anything we do. Grace and elegance is expressed through being present in our body in any moment during the day. It shows the beauty of responsibility!!
So true Adrienne, we have a responsibility for even the smallest thing that we do or say as everything has an influence on everything and will magnify like a ripple effect.
Committing to a responsible and loving life will offer countless others the choice of doing the same and by that truly change the world – with just one little choice.
This is a great observation, I love it. Thank you for this graceful blog Adrienne.
The massive size of the crane and its impact around in how it moves and does its thing is very much like our own bigness and impact we have too. I have been pondering recently on just how much we tend to make ourselves small to ‘fit in’ and the true irresponsibility this actually is. Is it possible we are ALL as massive if not even huger than the crane in our expression yet we all express in much lesser ways so we actually feel smaller than the magnificence we truly are?
Adrienne this blog is AMAZING! I love the angle you have used with the crane analogy. If I connect to my body as being the crane and keeping the responsibility of moving gently with care, so that I don’t bash myself and others then I can’t go far wrong! Keep writing. I love your style.
Thank you Adrienne for sharing how there is something to be learned in everything we see in life showing there is beauty all around us if we take our time to observe.
I know if I’m rushing I make mistakes and it takes longer to get something done. Your example of the crane Adrienne is a great reflection of purposeful work in action. Thank you
Love the way you write Adrienne. Life is amazing in the reflection of objects, nature and people – all things. Having a stop and contemplating deep about something and allowing that answer to “Why is That?” can bring a refreshed look at what you only “usually” see and not seeing there is much more going below or above, and all around us. Stopping and contemplating a deeper perspective to life brings me a greater understanding, and much joy, to what most see negatively “such is life” – when you feel into why it is like that, you are left with the understanding and natural detachment to walk with You, and not carrying the burdens of others or “why me?”. Thank you Adrienne for the Joy you bring through your deep perspective of life.
Who would of thought reflecting on a crane could be so inspiring. What a beautiful relationship you have with life.
Adrienne thank you for sharing this gorgeous reflection and powerful reminder of the effect we all have, with all that is around us through the quality we choose bring to work and life.
I love this analogy Adrienne. What a great observation and explanation to bring elegance and purpose into our every movements. If it is so for the crane, then it is so for every thing and every one. Another reminder that we think we are getting away with our rushing and clumsiness,. However, everything is felt and the truth is we do not get away with it.
I find the way I feel is so lovely when I am in elegance and purpose. Awareness of this is so worthwhile and life changing.
Mary-Lou this is true – I feel and know the energy when I rush and am nervous it really doesn’t feel very good in my body. I often get caught in this momentum – I have forgotten myself and the power of my elegance and purpose. Rebuilding this quality back into our lives is priceless and is most definitely world changing.
Your blog reminds me of the beauty we can see in the simplest things when we are connected with our selves.
Gorgeous Adrienne, I love how you’ve expressed the magnification of movements in the crane, and how this affects the whole workplace and surrounding area. I know when I rush I’m not with myself.. I rush to get it done quicker and then inevitably have to do it all again, with more presence.
‘Because of its sheer size, a crane cannot help but magnify the quality in which the driver operates it’. I love this Adrienne, a beautiful reminder of how the obvious things can be seen, but it is no different no matter what the size of the machinery we operate.
A great observation and appreciation of another and the way they are working leading to another great realisation in seeing how you were living ‘ Standing there, I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy.’ This is also something for me to see and feel, thank you.
As a trainer of bodywork I have developed an eye and a feeling for how students apply the techniques they are learning and just by their posture and way of moving I know the quality of their touch and the effect on the patient´s body. They often wonder how I can know where their attention is, if they are really connected to the tissue they intend to work with and how it feels to their partner but it all comes from their movements. When the movements are elegant and purposeful you know the quality of their hands touching, the connection with and the resonance in the client are palpable without the need of me putting my hands on the body to check. We are recognised in our movements.
Great insight Adrienne. Really is quite confronting to think how rough I am with my own body during the day. Something I’ve disregarded in the past but am gradually becoming more and more aware of. If everything is energy then if a crane bumps into something isn’t it the same if we do? Great inspiration to build conscious presence.
You describe something we all see and feel but may not be aware of all of the time, that the quality of our movements is an expression of how within and hence with what we do, and that by feeling that quality something is registered in us. We actually know another person´s state of being and our own when we are aware of the quality of our movements.
We know harmony and disharmony when we see it because we know it inside out, it only takes to awaken our awareness for the fact and start honouring the naturally caring impulses of our body that only ever will be respectful, purposeful and elegant.
Beautiful wise words Alex, I like this – ‘to awaken our awareness for the fact and start honouring the naturally caring impulses of our body that only ever will be respectful, purposeful and elegant’. – accepting and maintaining our self-worth and with self loving actions.
And all the more amazing when you consider the hustle and bustle and pressure that the crane driver is forever under to get things done. The immediate world around his is abuzz with expectation, and demands on his time. He is truly the heart of the construction site, and without him the construction site simply stops. Another metaphor for life just there…
Yes inspiration and gods reflection is everywhere and in everything – if we choose to connect with it.
I love this Adrienne and the appreciation for how a crane needs to move. It also reminds me that there would also be a level of preparation and planning beforehand, the crane driver can’t just jump in the crane and go for it. They need care and focus in the preparation stages. Often in life I just jump into the day and go for it, without putting in enough preparation like making lunch, exercising, having things in order and bringing a quality to my day. On these days there are the bumps, bruises and spills and I come home exhausted. Its a great reminder that putting in time for the preparation will support me to have more care throughout my day.
Beautiful observation Adrienne, who would have thought that the reflection of a massive, hard, metal monster crane could be so poignant?
Adrienne I love the rather abstract but eloquent way that you have written about this topic, it brought in an exquisite quality to the article. I feel to also add that yes, it does feel pretty awful for those around us when we are in a flap as well as feeling really awful for the person who is doing the flapping !
This makes so much sense Adrienne, thanks for sharing it was a truly awesome blog. I can relate in so many ways. The way you described how the crane moved “with elegance and purpose’ is mostly how I feel, but can notice very easy the rushed and destructive other way of being which is not productive at all. And thanks for sharing how you could see how the trance was emanating and related this back to us and how we emanate, magnificent.
Oh yum, I really like this blog Adrienne and the fact that it brings home to me very succinctly the responsibility I have to bring order and elegance and purpose to all that I do. It never works if I rush, I, and all about me, feels messy and disordered. The crane and its driver is a wonderful analogy.
Yes, responsibility in action. It would be interesting to see if the crane driver holds the same level of responsibility and care in the way he walks and moves when he is not driving the crane? Sometimes it is easier to focus our responsibility in the tasks we have to do, rather than holding the same focus in our every movement in every moment. Our responsibility has no on and off switch, but a constant and continual deepening.
I love how you observed this with such grace Adrienne, and this is such an awesome realisation: “Because of its sheer size, a crane cannot help but magnify the quality in which the driver operates it.”
This reminds me how being still inside, and being absolutely present allows for this eloquence and purpose to shine forth. Great blog. Thank you, Adrienne.
And from there that silky feeling that comes with eloquence that leads on to even yummier feelings. Thank you Adrienne and Elaine for the reminder that grace comes from how we move with our body, not from the task in our minds.
this is great, the way we work has an enormous effect on everything that comes from our movement. The crane magnifies this greatly and shows us what it is to be moving in a elegant and purposeful manner, inspiration is everywhere.
If we consider how much we affect others, our impact when we are rushed is just as bad as a rushed crane operator, only this damage isn’t visible. If I would receive the same feedback as the crane operator I would probably behave differently, too. This is a great blog.
This is a huge blog Adrienne (crane sized in fact!) Often when I bump into things, the table corner, the wall, a countertop etc I pause for a moment, as if a part of me knows it wasn’t just an accident. Normally I am in a rush and thinking about something outside of my present situation but the pause remains just that a pause. just like the investigation period is needed with the crane I feel there is a part of me that does know that there is more understanding to be gained rather than brushing off these seemingly ‘small’ bumps. What if they are not as small as we believe?
I recently observed the same as you have described Adrienne at work; it was the same but a smaller level. I watched a phone technician that was installing a fiber network cable into our building. If you were to measure this mans waist it would have been longer than his height and had large hands. He was cutting and splicing and arranging 150-micron cables, the same size as a human hair. He was required to have the level of complete presence of the crane operator. The consequences if he was to damage a live fiber could have caused an entire company’s communications network to stop. I also felt the elegance and purpose he held in his body as he worked and have felt the refection for myself on how I operate myself in everything I do.
This blog just goes to show that there are things going on around us constantly that can remind us to connect back to ourselves and our rhyme. Thank you for sharing this observation Adrienne.
Reading your blog Adrienne I got such a strong sense that life is constantly sending us messages, asking us to slow down and take better care of ourselves. Whether it be the deliberateness of a crane driver or a broken bone,life has a way of staying stop and take better care.
This is brilliant Adrienne, it is totally amazing what life can reveal to us if we are prepared to be observant and take the time to stop. Thank you for sharing.
Moving with elegance and purpose is a beautiful way to hold ourselves in. Just as the crane moves in this way so can we and the quality and feel of life magnifies when we are connected to ourselves in this way.
Beautiful Adrienne, i really enjoyed reading this, ‘Because of its sheer size, a crane cannot help but magnify the quality in which the driver operates it.’ working on a farm I experienced someone who had got very angry and then drove a big tractor near where I was working, this felt frightening, I remember feeling surprised at the time how clearly his state of being affected how the tractor moved, sounded and felt.
I love how you use the beauty and precision with which a crane operates to reflect to us the level of responsibility we each have in how we conduct ourselves in the ‘work site’ of our daily lives.
This is such a cool analogy Adrienne! Our bodies are so finely detailed yet we can often skip over the details of a little knee bump here or a finger scrape there as we go about our day. As you say though, it is all these little bumps and compromises that add up to us feeling ‘battered’ or ‘shattered’ at the end of the day, and wondering ‘why’? Making the choice to constantly maintain connection with our body is possible. We may think this takes a lot of energy or time, but actually it does not. What drains us is being in constant disconnection, and this has unfortunately become the norm.
I agree Amelia, maintaining a connection with our body is possible, and it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort, its just a checking in now and again. Otherwise do we truly know what energy is running us? Our body can be a marker for the energy that is around us as well as what we choose for ourselves.
Adrienne what a beautiful blog and a brilliantly analogy I would never have looked at a crane the way you did, I would have seen it as an amazing feat of engineering and precision but to bring it back to our bodies the way you did was exquisite. What you describe is so true how we treat our bodies on a daily basis, rushing to get things done can actually cause more mess and harm at the end of the day. The crane driver knows the responsibility he has for all those around him including himself when he operates the crane yet we do not take that same responsibility with our own bodies……until the devastation and destruction is too much to bear.
Briliant Adrienne, this is a great reminder to say goodbye to rushing and goodbye to working in nervous tension and instead bring elegance and purpose into my every move. Thanks for the inspiration.
“Because of its sheer size, a crane cannot help but magnify the quality in which the driver operates it.” This is a gorgeous analogy Adrienne. I can quite simply say I have never looked at a crane that way (and I am a very astute person who notices many things!) but now I will not be able to look at a crane nor my movements any other way. The lesson here for me being: our movements are but magnifications of the quality of energy that we allow to enter us. There are only ever two energies and so, is the quality in which we choose to move – LOVE – or is it not?
Adrienne this is just what I needed to read this morning. I have people coming round for lunch and I can get into that rush of wanting to get everything done by my self imposed deadlines. Graceful, elegant and purposeful are my key words for today as I prepare.
“…rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up.”
What a great and valid observation Adrienne. It certainly highlights the nonsensicality of the way we choose to live. It just goes to show how programmed we are to respond in a set way. For example, I know that if I rush, I most likely will mess things, or myself up in the process and therefore I will be a step behind. But try telling this to a mind that is programmed to go, go, go! To avoid such an ironic backfire, the key here seems to be to allow what the body knows – by virtue of the fact that it belongs to the Universe and hence knows the rhythm and nature of all things it is a part of – to impulse the mind and NOT let the mind -that often works as a ‘freelancer’ to the whole system it is still an integral part of – dictate how the body moves. A simple process of reprogramming may well be in order…
well said Liane. Then body may indeed have an intelligence that knows how to be and knows what is needed in any given situation. I feel it impulses US how to move and the expressions that are required. So often our mind can get caught up here and there, and is the one that gets us into trouble!
Thank you Adrienne, I love that you stopped in the first place to observe and truly connect to the crane driver working. To then relate this to responsibility and purpose in life is fabulous. I’ve often marvelled at cranes and drivers of huge articulated lorries manoeurvring and reversing into limited spaces also with feel and precision. Not often but, whenever I bump myself or drop something I know I’ve let slip a level of care and attention because I’m in my head or an energy of rush, rush, rush, get things done. How different it would be to live with the same level of purpose and elegance as the crane driver in every movement we make. Great blog!
Thanks, Adrienne. It is lovely to feel the precision you describe in the care taken, so that nothing is overlooked, no corners are cut, everything is given time and space, and is equally important. I have a great opportunity to practise this at work every day, as there is a wooden panel sticking out half way along the desk, which I bang my leg into if I am rushing in any way or not being present. So many bruises!
Wow reading this Adrienne I can see the responsibility we have for how we move throughout our day… will it be leaving a trail of disorder behind us for others to feel and subsequently need to fix or will we see our place in everything and how we move and work is an extension of how we live.
Wow that is so powerfully put Aimee. Everything we do leaves a trail behind and are we leaving one of disorder, a mess and disharmony or one of grace, stillness and reflection, like the crane.
Great point Aimee. What trail are we leaving for others to deal with and face? Is it disregard? Laziness? Left for them to pick up our slack? Or have we built a loving foundation for them to build on themselves?
Yes I too love the appreciation that Adrienne has expressed for the way the crane drivers work.
Wow thank you so much for sharing Adrienne and giving me a much needed insight into how careless I can be ‘in the ‘work site’ of my daily life’ and the impact that this not only has on me but on others. The accountability of crane drivers is an awesome reflection for all of us.
Interesting points Adrienne – it is so true and I love the example you have used. So often I can find myself rushing at work and then usually things end up going wrong and taking longer. Whereas when I give myself the time and space to do things they usually end up being done so much quicker plus I feel great afterwards rather than stressed and anxious! It is an amazing difference and shows that what is really important is the quality we are in when we do things and the way we do things.
I love this – What it reminded me of is how Sometimes I feel the stakes in life are high and there is a lot to lose or that could go wrong, and sometimes I am not so aware of this. For a crane driver without that making his day about carefulness, elegance and purpose he can do so much damage. That’s definitely a great lesson for all of us, because as someone I deeply value said, the stakes are always high.
In the past I was constantly getting bruises, bumps and burns, just from everyday tasks, I either wasn’t present when I was completing a task or I was not being gentle with my body “Living even just one day with this level of accountability for the way I move might just explain how I can reach the end of some days feeling battered and messy without really understanding why.” I can’t remember the last time I had a bruise, and I used to live with them almost everyday, some times huge ones, all over my thighs, people we wold say how did that happen I would have to say, “I don’t know..I must just bruise easily” Occasionally I do cut my finger, or burn myself when I am cooking and know it is a reminder that I am rushing or not being present. Being present has meant I am aware of my body and it feels so much more loving and caring to treat it in this way.
I love this, so elegant. I, too, love watching great big diggers and how gentle they are managed by their drivers. I always marvel at the delicacy with which they are handled. Such a superb analogy, like a magnifying glass, for handling our own lives.
Shows that Inspiration can be found everywhere – if we are willing to see.
I am going to move around my day today with such a bigger awareness, thank you Adrienne, for the inspiration that you bring. And watching a crane will never be the same again!
Thank you Adrienne. Just saying elegance and purpose makes me more aware of how I move. My body is very alert to letting me know if I am in a rush or not treating myself gently and with focus on the task at hand as I bruise very easily. Every small bruise on my hands tells me to take more care of myself and move with elegance and purpose.
What a great observation. I love the image of the crane moving with purpose and elegance. it’s true, this is how we can be in our bodies also, without the rush.
This is a very still and real appreciation of responsibility and grace being reflected by the crane and its movements making it feel so real and relatable to life Adrienne thank you for sharing this . It is beautiful to read and appreciate and a inspiration for everyone.
Adrienne, I love the observation concerning the crane and how it magnifies visibly every movement and mood. It is a great way to imagine I would do all things in the way like operating a crane. The appreciation for the workers on the worksite is amazing as I never have taken this into consideration, just thought it is normal. Thank you.
This story reminds when I was a child. I lived in an industrial area and love to watch works and especially cranes working. Hours and hours I could watch a crane doing its work, moving steel pipes or moving loads of sand. The precision and elegancy in the movements were for me a joy to look at as they resonated with the natural precision and delicacy that I could feel within. Moving ourselves in the same way, with this level of precision and with the elegancy as portrayed in your story
Adrienne, feels so honoring to do for my body and everybody around me, but as you say Adrienne, not something I have any consistency in. When I am in conscious presence with myself I do move with this level of awareness, but how often I allow myself to be less aware and have some bruises, abrasion or cuts. Although these moments are becoming less they still happen and would be considered a serious problem if I would be a crane driver.
Terrific observations Adrienne and how true. Thank you for the reminder that rushing achieves nothing but bumps and bruises and at worst horrific ‘accidents’. Elegance of awareness achieves harmony.
Fabulous Adrienne, how beautiful to stand and observe the grace of the crane operator and bring that home to you and how you live in the day. I know exactly what you mean as I have often observed just how delicately and precisely men operate large diggers, seeing how gently they move the bucket and arm of the digger. I am continually struck by how such a large and bulky machine can be made to move with such tenderness, but I have never brought that awareness home to me and how I move in the day. Its so true, we think that rushing around is the only way to get things done, and ignore all those little ‘accidents’ that happen as a result. When we move with grace and purpose, taking care not to knock, spill, bang or bump into anything, then everyone including ourselves benefits and we do indeed save time in the process. Thank you, I will carry this into my day and enjoy the grace that follows.
Great analogy here Adrienne in which the movements of the crane are magnified. I had never really considered this before, but it certainly reminds me that everything we do affects much more than just our own little space – not only our own bodies, but those around us. The crane is such a great visual example of this magnification and is one I will definitely be referring to in relation to my own movements and the way I am each day.
Having made some space for myself to stop after a morning of housework, I find myself reflecting upon how essential the infrastructure is in maintaining the flow around us and your blog sums up so eloquently the majesty and purpose behind it all that in turn, serves us all. And as I did the housework, I felt that flow and for once there were no bumps and scrapes as I did so…somewhat unusual for me! So this connection you have made, Adrienne between our bodies and the machinery we use to accomplish huge tasks is vitally important – without the fullness of our quality in purpose, we can wreak havoc upon not only ourselves, but the built environment and others around us. The appreciation I feel towards those who accept this responsibility in their daily lives, whether at work or at home, has deepened by this amazing description and analogy of the elegance of a crane.
Sometimes I have an unexplained bruise appear on my body and wonder how it got there. This is a clear example of me not connecting to my body at all times and being ‘accountable for the way in which I move’. Your sharing of the crane operator as ‘beauty in motion’ slow, purposeful, unhurried and focused – my body deserves the same care and attention at all times. I really enjoyed this sharing with us all Adrienne thank you.
Thank you for this elegant blog Adrienne, I love that you receive so much insight and wisdom watching the way the crane and driver were working. When you say, ‘rushing seems to get things done’ this is such an illusion but one that it is easy to fall into if I allow an apparent outside pressure to enter me. I am still learning to be more attentive and learn exactly how much time it takes me to do what needs to be done, so no rushing needs to enter the equation, often at the last moment! It’s like quelling an old anxiety held onto in my body that there will not be enough time to meet outside demands.
And a gorgeous appreciation of appreciation Syliva – a great reminder to make and take the time to appreciate!
And yes, I never thought I’d be saying this, but I am deeply inspired by the crane.
But then again, it’s all about the operator 😉
It is so all about the operator and the quality of choice.
This article is very prominent Adrienne, thank you, for exposing the elephant in the room- that we think we can get away with whatever we do: bumps, spills, bruises, but what is truly happening on the micro level of our body? If we see a crane experiencing the serious and detrimental effects of rushing…
What an unusual yet awesome topic you have chosen to write about Adrienne – who would have thought that a huge crane at work could be elegant! And love how you describe “As I watched the crane, I got to feel how it works: slow, purposeful, unhurried, and focussed. It lifted large heavy items, gently and precisely placing them where they needed to go. This to me was beauty in motion.”
I loved that description too Tamara!
Whoa Adrienne such a great observation and analogy for how we can work… and the effect it has. Not only on us, but everyone viewing us as well- be it from a distance in a car driving by, or on the ground -closely working with us.
Thank you Adrienne how you use the analogy of the crane, it will stick with me when I will move and operate in daily life, making sure I do this with divine quality, knowing my purpose and my service for all with each and every move I make and each thought I have. While writing this I feel how we need elegance, purpose and service to all in everything we think as well.
Adrienne – this blog is spectacular. I have always found that magnification is a very useful way to test a hypothesis and this story makes it so clear that the way I rush myself is harming. I have been feeling this today as I rushed to get somewhere and arrived anxious and stressed. It is not worth it in the end.
I love your observations Adrienne. And then I love the way you make them such a clear reflection in your life. Then by sharing them everyone gets a blessing. I feel that you could compile a book “Adrienne’s Observations – a Reflection of Life.” I would certainly buy a copy.
Adrienne, I like your analogy of how we can easily see the exaggerated movements in the crane, but not within ourselves.
I’ve found that when I have to complete a task quickly (quite possibly because of poor preparation) my body can feel tense, I make mistakes or bump into things and the job takes longer than it should. But alternatively, if I’m present and connected to my body I can complete the task faster without fuss or anxiousness. What counts is the quality I am in.
This shows me that it is about working in flow, as does the crane, and speed is irrelevant.
Adrienne
A beautiful blog from the start. The analogy of the crane and its movements and the responsibility that is entailed to drive such a vehicle and the way we as humans have a responsibility to move and live in a certain way is clear and insightful. ‘Elegance and purpose are a crane driver’s only way of operating. There is much beauty to feel and see in this level of commitment, awareness and care in action’
I know that when I am living with a deep level of conscious presence I can feel the elegance and purpose in my body in every movement including my walk, my gestures and even my voice. Every cell feels full of warmth from deep within and there is a flow in my body that feels exquisite.
“I know that when I am living with a deep level of conscious presence I can feel the elegance and purpose in my body in every movement including my walk, my gestures and even my voice. Every cell feels full of warmth from deep within and there is a flow in my body that feels exquisite.” This is absolutely exquisite Kathryn. This awareness is so beautiful to have, and a real marker for humanity to recognise that there is a different way of being.
I agree Harrison. A very exquisite thing Kathryn has shared here. It is very very beauty-full to feel our bodies and the simplicity of just being in each moment. Its what we actually miss and yet it is always just there..
We associate purpose generally with getting things done, as many things done as possible, as quickly as possible. What cranes reflect is the quality of how things are done, and how when there is a quality of focus and unhurriedness, this reflects in the final result of what is done. Not only do I find amazing that cranes reflect absolute focus and care in movement, it is truly beautiful to have cranes set this quality in the transportation of materials used in the building industry, which sets the foundation of every city.
Great blog and very relevant to me right now. I have made a conscious effort to feel everything, read everything that happens and listen to my body, adjust what and where was needed. It is the ultimate in self care and responsibility and the effects and awareness that this brings is enormous. I walk feeling every step, being guided by every part of my body and checking in with my breath. Adrienne, I love how you can feel the connection between the crane, its movements and ourselves. There are reflections in so many places in life.
Hi Adrienne, there are so many cranes in Hong Kong, and I have always had a fascination for them and loved photographing them too—they look so unphased, majestic, standing tall—with a purpose. I agree with you absolutely that there is elegance in them—elegance full of practical, daily purpose, responsible for the laying of foundations. I loved the point you made about the presence, detail of meticulous care in a crane’s movement—unhurried. This blog is a beautiful reflection for every city and every moving human being. No wonder we have so many crane reflections in this amazing city, thank you for supporting my deepening understanding.
Big machinery is a good way for men to express their natural care and tenderness because it is fully accepted that that is the only way to work with big machinery in confined spaces like cities.
Great image to ponder on…am I rushing about bumping into things in my day or am I being as present as a crane driver?
Yes Joel, that image makes for an awesome reminder… rush or presence – a simple choice with such huge impact.
YES Hannah! Rush or presence? That is the question.
I can feel how every bump and scrape, when magnified in effect as with the crane is hugely significant Adrienne. I commit to being much more aware of my movement and it’s impact on not only those around me but the movement of the ALL. Thank you for your attention to detail and converting this into a lesson for life!
Gorgeously written Adrienne, your usual symbology of life always so refreshing to read offering much to consider about ourselves within life itself. When we rush to do, everything else gets affected by that rush creating no ease, but more restraint or tension, your words here relatable to almost all of us: “Standing there, I could feel how much havoc I can wreak on the worksite of my life and upon all those I share it with when I move and operate in a rush, and with nervous energy” – ‘work site of our life’ (cranes and all) – so apt, so true, so simple.
What a great analogy Adrienne, elegance and purpose from the way a crane moves, to how we move, do we bring the same elegance and grace from that crane or do we rush, bump and get into the ‘doing’ just to get stuff done. Well I know that I definitely can go into the doing to get stuff done, not all the time, but it does happen. I will have a new founded awareness as I walk and feel in my day, thank you.
Nailed it Adrienne! Boy oh boy do I need to read the line about rushing and slowing things down, over and over again. You couldn’t be more right. Rushing makes an absolute mess of things, it’s so compelety pointless and counter productive, and we fool ourselves into believeing that if we move faster we can cram more in. But the opposite is true. We can work fast, don’t get me wrong, but when we rush, when the drive comes from nervous energy, then the quality and accuracy of what we are doing drops, and then we are inevitably left with more work to do.
How often to do we appreciate the hard work that people do, that needs to be done and yet can be done with elegance and purpose. There is an honouring of our delicateness to be appreciated here too, it’s nothing soft but actually very solid and purposeful in its movements.
Adrienne, what I love the most about what you have presented here is the clear contrast between moving within a natural flow, rhythm and harmony in our human bodies to that of moving out of rhythm and the completely differing results that come from it. It’s really cool to feel that a simple choice like this affects everything yet to come in our day.
Great analogy. What stays with me is that the damage we do to our bodies when we rush around is directly proportionate to the impact that a crane being operated in haste, sloppiness or disregard has on the worksite it is a part of. Cranes carry huge risk when badly managed. So too do our bodies. This is a salutary reminder of our responsibility for extreme care in the way we manoeuvre ourselves around our ‘lifesite’. Gently does it.
Wow Adrienne. This is so cool. Thankyou.
I wondered at first why the picture of the crane, but after reading I understand the connection, I have been watching a bob cat operator manoeuvring around in a confined space, it had me marvelling at his skills and the precision he was able to achieve with his connection to the machine. I also noticed when he spoke to me after, he wasn’t all tough and wired but very gentle. Yes a lovely observation Adrienne for us to live with Elegance and Purpose.
Thank you Adrienne, this is a beautiful study in awareness of everyone and everything around me, and how I can have a harmful or supportive impact from even the smallest of choices. It’s a great observation about the crane drivers accountability really being the same as our own. I know if I get very anxious or nervous and drive I’m more likely to be distracted and have a near miss. Some beautiful reminders here.
Adrienne, this is an awesome analogy. I can feel the responsibility of the crane, and hence the responsibility that is needed in me to bring that quality of stillness to my daily life. Like you, I still get caught in deadlines and busy-ness, but as you say, it can leave a mess behind.
I realize the same in the last weeks, how important it is for me to bring stillness into my life. Otherwise I can’t be really with me and therefore with others.
Oh Adrienne, this is wonderful that you’ve put into words so clearly and inspirationally just what I also half-noticed the other day when seeing a crane at its work! I was driving through a roundabout and because it was a slower pace I had a few seconds to see a crane letting down a scruffy pile of scaffolding pipes and mesh onto a 4th-storey floor level … the pace it moved at imparted a grace and beauty which quite took my breath away. The purposefulness of its movement was super reassuring and created a strong feeling of being safe and steady, that it couldn’t be rocked by anything, and in response, I then came more into myself, which allowed my body to relax, it was a lovely moment. And this was all in just a few seconds! I also wonder what sort of men are the crane drivers … I bet they’re very tender, sensitive and aware people, with an innate steadiness, who may not have been supported in this in their daily life.
So thank you for a gorgeous blog illustrating how everyday, ordinary, apparently mundane things can be and are a reflection to us of the glorious and beautiful selves we truly are.
Adrienne, I love this blog, especially your analogy here with the crane, “Rushing seems to get things done, but if the crane driver followed this theory, it would show that the opposite is true: rushing makes a mess, effectively slowing things down when the intention is to speed them up”. What a wonderful example you have found here, of just what happens with us too, when we rush to get things done. For me, that is always when things go wrong, I bump into things, spill something, all that actually means is I get even less done as I clean up my mess after. But if I am really with myself, doing what is needed, with full awareness and care, it is amazing then how easily and smoothly all is done, and so often lately, I am finding that there is still more time to spare. It feels is as if time has stood still while I was doing that job, certainly, it has provided more space for me to do still more of what is needed. Something inside of me has expanded, and it feels so amazing.
Well said Beverley. We are in complete illusion to think we save time by rushing, as by the time we correct our mistakes the same task done with elegance, grace and appreciation of each step we took to get there is far more spacious and timely.
Anything outside my body that stimulates it into action be it perceived work demands, the food I choose to eat, the way I deal with time I see written on the clock, allowing my thoughts to distract or run my body then I am gone! I really love your crane and crane operator analogy Adrienne – there is such purpose to every detail and no room for distraction. When I work this way then my whole relationship to time and space changes. In the beginning the pace was very slow when I connected to my breathe and my body but as I have built the foundations one step at a time there is now a strength that allows me to move at a pace and rhythm that is neither speeding up or slowing down and it amazing what comes out of such divine presence. I am no longer alone struggling with what the world presents but embracing every moment and allowing all the possibilities to unfold with no need to bring in any self control Coping mechanisms.
Adrienne, I just love reading your observations on everyday life with the depth, beauty and richness that your eyes see. Rushing certainly gets a lot done, bucket loads in fact, but the mess takes so much longer to sort out and clean up. So all in all, nothing is ever gained from rushing and instead it takes you back to point A to clean it all up again. Effectively making all the rushing a complete waste of time.
A while ago I was watching one of my nursing colleagues rushing about to get her work done, What was amazing to watch was how even when patients called out her rushing and the effect she kept on rushing. Not only was there the physical environment to ‘clean up’ afterwards but he feeling of rushing stayed around for a while even after she left work and it took a while for that to settle. As you say the mess takes much longer to sort out and clean up. This is a constant reminder of how we can influence the environment we are in, with the quality of our presence.
Vicky, I have never seen rushing like that, ‘So all in all, nothing is ever gained from rushing and instead it takes you back to point A to clean it all up again.’ This makes so much sense as this is precisely what plays out when I start rushing, so it begs the question why do I fall for it so often when I know what you say to be true?
Exactly Vicky, the mess created by rushing includes making mistakes in the work that you are doing, which then have to be found and corrected which usually takes much more time than if you were to slow down, reconnect and undertake the task with focus and presence in the first place! And the rushing and stress not only effects the quality of your work, but how you communicate with those around you, the way you leave the space around you (running out the door with dishes piled in the sink, or papers strewn across the desk) and your body – a day of rushing is guaranteed to leave you feeling tired and tense. If we live this way on a daily basis, we are just adding to our stress as the mess in all aspects of our lives steadily grows.
I absolutely LOVE this Adrienne. And as I sit here feeling a little battered from my workday I know tomorrow I will have the support of your fabulous observations and realisations to support me. Thank you.
‘Elegance and purpose’ – a great way to move – thank you, Adrienne for this inspiring blog
I second that Carmel – it’s the only way to move!
Indeed Carmel, a truly awesome way to move. It does not make sense when I now think about it to have one without the other!
I agree, such a great reminder. Gently does it!
Wow Adrianne, this is so clearly explained and such a perfect example of why rushing and trying to get things done quickly with out total care and presence does not work. We all know it, but still get caught in thinking it’s necessary to cope with the pressures of life, but really it just keeps those pressures and stresses of life going.
The way you magnify the issue by looking at the crane, makes all aspects of life worth looking at in this way, we may not think it’s a big deal when it’s a little thing in our life, and responsibility only comes into play when it’s something that effects the masses, but actually it’s in every little detail. A great blog that has really inspired me to ponder on all the little things I do in my day to day life that I know could be done with more quality, focus and presence -with out rushing! Thank you.
This is an excellent blog Adrienne, your observation is extremely inspiring. It is so true what you have shared. This is a beautiful reminder for me to be super aware of how I move to get things done. If I take that same level of care, precision, steadiness, purpose and elegance into my everyday movements how amazing would my day be and how would I feel? Incredible! I am inspired to try it, thank you.
A great observation and insight, Adrienne. So true, one careful, purposeful execution is so much more effective and does get more done than a dozen of random strokes delivered aimlessly.
And not only is it more effective but the quality radiating from the person effecting those around and the objects being involved is so supportive and confirming of being in such caring quality.
Very true Fumiyo. This applies to a lot of things – when we take time and do something with precision, the quality of it and the time taken to do it is benefited hugely – it tends to be so much better and efficient…. This works much better than trying to do something carelessly for a long time – ‘dozens of random strokes’ as you say don’t work as well as one precise one.
Well said Fumiyo. Through being truly present with ourselves, all that we ‘do’ can be so much more purposeful. We are also not left depleted through pushing ourselves in a way that does not allow the space to truly connect, and deliver what is needed from a lived way of connection that innately honours our bodies. Everyone benefits.
What a great reminder, Adrienne. Like the crane driver, the energy that we do things in is magnified for all to feel. Rushing, as well as elegance and purpose, leaves its imprint or mark.
Yes we don’t think it does – rushing – but it really does leave an imprint. Much more than we think actually. I am learning more and more and more that it is so much more about the energy in which we do things that makes such a difference. Great insights regarding the crane Adrienne. I really like your writing.
Great point Carmin – this blog goes deep “Like the crane driver, the energy that we do things in is magnified for all to feel. Rushing, as well as elegance and purpose, leaves its imprint or mark.” It has been mentioned above the responsibility we all hold in how we do things and what we leave behind. Many songs capture this “what you give is what you get” or “what goes around comes around”. In the Ageless Wisdom doctrines it’s called the Law of Cause and Effect.
This is a great reflection Carmin and Adrienne. To stop and consider that our every movement, word and expression magnifies the energy that we are living. This puts the onus on being responsible for what energy is living us moment to moment.
I agree Deborah – this was a beautiful reminder to me of the responsibility that we have in each day for how our choices, actions and even our thoughts affect others.
Yes, and the fact that everything we do magnifies what is already there in us is an amazing opportunity – we just need to learn to get the hang of it and then it is like rocket fuel – everything we do or express can be helpful to us and everybody else.
A beautiful analogy Adrienne, thank you. Even with its huge size and weight the crane has to stay firmly fixed on the ground otherwise it would topple over, but also as you say it has to be operated with delicate precision to avoid damaging anything as it hovers above. This is indicative of our lives, that we remain firmly grounded in physical life whilst we live seeing the big picture of why we are on this planet and operating with gentleness and grace to not harm ourselves or another.
What a beautiful elegant blog Adrienne, the lesson from the crane operating is very powerful, showing very clearly how steadiness, presence and precision are qualities to say yes to every day.
Yes Bernadette I feel the same – such precision with such strength and steadiness in our every day life will be awesome to behold when applied.
We all seem to be appreciating the quality of precision here. The more precise I am at work, with myself and at home the more gracious I feel. Precision feels like a commitment to the details of life. Gorgeous.
I agree Bernadette and I love what you say Abby about precision feeling like a commitment to the details of life.
Abby, I so agree with you about precision and how it makes me feel. I was just pondering on keeping a room tidy and realised that with one thing out of place it can affect how the whole room feels and therefore how I feel in the room. Detail is important and we can often overlook it when in rush or overwhelm mode. But the more we stay connected to ourselves the more space opens up to pay attention to the small things.
I love this Adrienne, ‘the worksite of my daily life’ – yesterday I moved house and early on in the process a sudden move saw me feel the consequence on a part of my body, later a little purple bruise had appeared but by that time I’d actually forgotten what it was that had caused it, yet in the moment I registered the feeling. I can very much relate to the difference of what bringing elegance and purpose to my everyday moving, has on not just my body but all action that comes from it. Thank you for this most perfectly timed blog.
Giselle, I too notice that when I am distracted and in a rush during my day, I will see bruises appear later and not remember how I got them. This is a reminder for me of one of the consequences of not paying attention and not being present in my day. I love the analogy Adrienne makes of being a crane on the work-site of her life. It has made me stop and consider the impact my rushing around has, not only on me, but also on everyone around me.
Pondering further, perhaps these markings show up too to be taken as reminders we are larger than often we can feel ourselves to be, and by that I don’t necessarily mean physical size, but the enormity of our essence and that in allowing that to be, more and more our movements can be that of grace.
Elegance and purpose has such a lovely ring to it when it comes to our movements. And I also loved the ‘worksite of my daily life’. Great to have the overview of our whole daily life and to apply the lovely energy of elegance and purpose to everything we do.
All these little reminders and opportunities that we are given if we choose to notice.
Absolutely, elegance and purpose has a massive effect on our bodies, as it does when we are unprecise with movement, I had a moment like this yesterday – OUCH!
Oh yes Meg, I had an ‘ouch’ moment two days ago with expressing loosely, and unknowingly disturbed someone. Precision is such a loving act! What a great reminder to stay with the body.
So true Katie. What a great reflection to see clearly the magnification of the energy we live and our responsibility therefore in the smallest movement and expression and the source from which we draw.
I have these moments too Giselle. For so long I was in the belief that “it does not matter and just get on with it” – perhaps stemming from childhood where I was told not to make a fuss, get over it, told ‘it’s only a little bruise’ or to toughen up princess. Now, I appreciate each “ouch” moment as a little, but loud message: “STOP! You have a body you are not just a head!” It is a reminder that in each moment I can choose to move with presence, love, elegance, delicateness, tenderness and in a way that honours how much love I have for myself and others equally.
Beautiful sharing Adrienne. I love Cranes and connect to their pure service – providing a Universal Lift of us all – each with its particular brand as do we each have our particular expression yet they are all cranes. Cranes remind that we have unending support and are being helped efficiently and effectively and with precision in full consideration of the load carried and the lift needed for our evolution and growth. The crane knows and plays its part – is dedicated and committed with strength and consistency and a willingness to serve. No matter what the load proportions or weight we may carry we are provided a helping hand and needed support – all angles are covered…as do the excavators do their part to dig deep and bring to the surface a hidden load in our re-construction of our body of love.
I love your comment Deborah to Adrienne’s great blog and can appreciate the anology. We have been able to witness such immense undertakings with every type of mammoth size machinery from our apartment as a major shopping mall is being ‘re-configured’. This visual display that has been ours for more than a year, will continue for a couple more – so I can fully appreciate the dexterity and the precision that the person in charge of these great pieces of machinery has while so gently demolishing that which was old and now not of true service any longer, almost like poetry in motion, or an artist painting with fluidity and true care. One can very easily see the anology while being aware of the possible ‘demolishing that which was old and now not of true service’ in the body – in our developing, revealing and re-configuring of our body of love.
“No matter what the load proportions or weight we may carry we are provided a helping hand and needed support.” Thank you Deborah, for there are days where the load feels to heavy to bare, yet the support to guide us through is always present. Our part is to ask for it and be open to receive it.
Adrienne what a great anology to how we are with our bodies. Last night I was very tired and could feel I needed to go to bed very early yet I decided to look for a receipt for a product that was broken. This was a tedious job that required my full attention and interestedly as I worked through the papers my body gave me a little message with me cutting my hand on one of the files. For me the message was that my purpose was to be winding down for bed instead of reaving up with searching. It’s incredible the wisdom our bodies hold and the deep responsiblity we hold to honour how it needs to be operated.
Yes Sharon. I too have made choices like this in the past. I do however remember only recently I had much that needed to be done but also really felt the need to go to bed. I honoured that that night, went to bed and awoke early feeling refreshed with enough time to do all that I’d wanted to do the previous evening. For me it was a about a letting go, not needing to always have everything done and honouring myself first…. still a work in progress!
I can relate Michelle, I have a bit of a compulsion to finish things and leave everything tidy and am just learning whilst it is important to feel complete before sleep, I need to relax with this need for perfection, especially on a temporal level, as there is always something else to do or to tidy up.
Me too Judith, sometimes when I get home I feel a bit tired and hungry. I’m learning that just 10 minutes rest before I eat, works so much better for my body than rushing to eat while tired.
I agree Sharon, I finally had purpose to life once I became fully aware of being solely responsible for my body. I learnt the way that I need to move my body is in respect and honour to all around me and not imposing any ill-energy into the air or earth.
Beautifully stated Rik, as when we get into the swing of things it can be easy to get caught up in things, lose our elegance so to speak and forget our true purpose.
Rik your comment is gold. ‘I finally had purpose to life once I became fully aware of being solely responsible for my body.’ How can I have missed something so blindingly obvious like I am the only one who is responsible for my body?! It probably shouldn’t be a revelation but it is!
So beautiful because I can see clearly what I am responsible for and what is not my responsibility regarding others.
Yes our body does give us these loving little reminders to come back and be with it. I also had one yesterday in a moment when I was choosing to not be fully present. I appreciate that I know it to be a reminder for the choices I am making.
I love how you can see elegance in something that many think of as monstrous and massive. Shows there can be elegance in everything in life.
I love this too Ben! The whole concept of a crane and its driver being elegant shook some very old beliefs out of my body. Thankfully so!
I was amazed by this too – you have an beautiful way of seeing the world Adrienne.
I agree Ben. I will never look at a crane the same way, and it is beautiful Adrienne how you see a reflection in these massive objects.
I too am impressed with the grace and beauty that you capture in the often unseen gross nature of a crane and its purpose Adrienne!
Same here Ben. This story really portrays a real love and appreciation of life.
So true Ben. Even ‘giants’ are gentle when they allow themselves to be impulsed by the natural rhythm that flows through all things. This rhythm is love and hence such elegance is a choice and not dependent on the girth of the vehicle it expresses through.
Very well said Liane – ‘This rhythm is love and hence such elegance is a choice and not dependent on the girth of the vehicle it expresses through.’
Does this not make us stop to deeply consider what love is. Such dedication to presence and absolute care in all that is done is something we may not traditionally equate with love, but love it is. And it can be felt as a certain rhythm and flow.
Even in something a ginormous as a crane.
Beauty is definitely in the way we each choose to see things and connect to what we are seeing from our heart felt way.
So Beautiful Natasha – our natural heart felt way.
Yes Natasha, you said it very beautifully, it is the inner feeling and what we are choosing to see from our divine perspective and being.
Indeed, Ben, HOW we do things in life makes all the difference and there can be great beauty when we bring quality to our thoughts, words and deeds.
Absolutely Ben. It is in the smallest of movements and actions to the grandness if we so choose this quality for ourselves first.
So true Ben, the size of something does not guarantee it’s quality.
Me too Ben, its opened my eyes to how much more there is to appreciate in the world around us.
Yes Ben I agree, this was what struck me most in reading this blog although it brought a memory of a friend doing some work on a digger. The way in which he manoeuvred the machine was with precision and grace; it was beautiful to watch. I must have clocked it to remember this moment but thought no more of it until now.
It sure is a beautiful way of seeing the world and it really does show that there is much for us to see if we so choose to really look what we are being showing. It is no accident that you saw the cranes and how eloquent they were moving with strength, power and purpose. I know when I claim myself I feel strong, tall, empowered and unwavering.
I love the way you have used the crane to frame the responsibility we have in maintaining our connection that allows for purpose and elegance in action. It is a great confirmation of our true way of being, that as you say Adrienne radiates our beauty.
Lovely Marcia, ‘I love the way you have used the crane to frame the responsibility we have in maintaining our connection that allows for purpose and elegance in action. It is a great confirmation of our true way of being’, I notice how exquisite it is when I work maintaining my connection, i work with grace, gentleness and love and my work flows, if I rush and loose connection then my work feels hard, I make mistakes and feel tired as a result.
Purpose and elegance in action. I am going to remember thee words today as a support to the quality I bring today.
Beautiful Johanna, this is what I am gonna take out from this blog and with me today too, Purpose and action in what I am doing.
Beautiful Johanna, “Purpose and elegance in action.” Simple but truly profound words that I will take with me into my day also.
Yes – I grasped this immediately too. There is so much on offer and what I connected to as well is that the elegance is within me already – there is no trying just flowing.
Beautifully said Amina – consistency with our connection is so important. The more we feel our connection with ourselves, the more we are aware of how we are moving and can make the changes to express more of ourselves with the natural grace, beauty and elegance that we have inside.
That is where it is so simple;if we are connected we are responsible and beauty then radiates from us as you share Marcia.
And beautifully tied in too with the analogy of a construction site as the way we hold our bodies during our day. When we consider the order, precision and team work that must go into this sort of work, there is an enormous responsibility with how with others and the impacts our choices have on those around us that we may not always consider
Love how you shared the working of a crane was purposefully, gently and precisely, beauty in motion, the crane is a great reflection of the magnification of how we can be on a daily basis, rather than rushing around to get things done. We take it for granted that a small bump or bruise is ok, but in comparison to a crane, if it had a dent, the damage would be costly and so it is important to be gentle, purposefully. If we where to take this responsibility for the self how different our lives would be.
I agree Amita, the crane is a beautiful analogy for the magnification of movement and the impact that can have on life.
The ‘magnification of movement’ has a ring to it that brings a stillness Judith. If I could be more like a crane in my movement, I can feel that stillness would be more embodied. That is my purpose for today, thank you.
Reading both your comments, Judith and Bernadette, has blown me away. Each movement determines out future – are we magnifying healing or harming? Back to the drawing board, the stillness again.
Beautiful ‘the magnification of movement’ — and what it creates in disorder, or co-creates in harmony. What a great focus Judith.
Yes Amita, it would be! Another thing we can learn from the crane is the beauty of working and moving together with others carefully and purposeful. This in itself has an elegance. Feeling the beauty of a group working purposefully and automatically elegantly together brings deep joy – ore to go a step further it is religious.
Beautifully said Stefanue, working together as a group in purpose, brings true joy ultimately gets us to true religion, union with God.
I have experienced just what you share here with the bulldozer operator doing the site works on our house building block. I have been marvelling at his skill and expertise yes, but also acutely aware that there is a stillness or a ‘beingness’ with himself that allows him the ability to make such precise cuts to the land. Watching someone operating, in fact just living, with a sense of their own presence is just gorgeous.
Quite Suzanne re cuts to the land, disastrous to make a slip, the level of precision so inspiring in regards to how we work and the effect we have as a ‘crane’ on others in the workplace….and imagine not just one crane, i.e. our own crane, but all others too, the worksite would have to have a very specific order of operating that orchestrates a synchrony so that work gets done with harmony, not havoc. Brings greater meaning to operating effectively and productively in the workplace.
True Zofia, I’m always in awe of how buildings are constructed. Close to where I live,a new housing complex is near completion. I’ve watched it grow stage by stage, with the different elements and tradesmen coming in and working together at the right time bringing specific skills and expertise to complete their part of the project. As you say a perfect ‘synchrony.’ A master class on how with purpose and total respect for what each person brings, we can create amazing workplaces and teams.
I love what you say here Zofia. We are all operating ‘cranes’ effectively, however we are not aware of the impact they have on each other. I can see an International Crane Day at work where we all wear blow up cranes around our body, and get to feel how much one move or lack of co ordination can affect another, many others. Imagine what would happen if everyone wanted a coffee at the same time or two wanted or to go to the loo in a hurry!
ha ha Bernadette, can you imagine that, blow up cranes…also good for team building events too (!!) and Kehinde I also love seeing buildings being built and all the different stages, the whole engineering feat always astounds me as to what can be built with collaborative precision and togetherness.
The collaborative precision and togetherness that you describe Zofia remind me of working in small places like kitchens and galleys with others. Again without a conscious presence of where others other and harmonious movement,all sorts of bumps and accidents can occur.
Absolutely Zofia and Jenny. This collaborative precision is something that is deeply known in the body, and these jobs with gigantic engines cannot be carried out from the lineal mind, only from body awareness where the greater intelligence resides. I experienced your example, Jenny, of working in small places the other evening when after dinner three of us cleared up in a small kitchen in no time at all with such flow between us.
Yes Suzanne I agree; watching somebody operating, in fact just going about daily activity, daily living, with a sense of their own presence is really gorgeous.
…”in fact just going about daily activity, daily living, with a sense of their own presence is really gorgeous”… yes I agree Esther Auf de Maur, just like the trees standing next to the cranes in Adrienne’s photo, firmly rooted to the ground but having a sense of their own presence, elegance AND purpose!
Yes Esther the freedom and elegance of someone going about their daily activities with complete presence is a stunning sight to behold.
This is so true. Through their reflection we’re reminded of the instant choice to reconnect with our own gorgeousness. The harmony of this feels divine.
Yes, it is scary to see one of these big machines delicately manoeuver in very confined spaces, especially if that space is right next to your house. It is also a great analogy how much better we do when we do behave in a caring, gentle way or even in a loving way – we then automatically stop being rough.
Interesting, Suzanne, as I re-read this great blog, I had been picturing in my mind just how gentle and still a crane operator must be to be able to do the work that he does so delicately. I was feeling I would love to meet a crane driver to see if that was indeed how that person would be in person. It is a job that requires that particular attitude within the operator. Actually many years ago now, I remember the operator of a large bulldozer on our rural property who did some great work for us. And yes, he actually was a very gentle sort of man. Not the sort of person that one would generally have equated with such a heavy sort of work. But then, it needed a great precision, it is the machine that is doing the heavy work, the operator who has to be gentle. Interesting observations and a great sharing from Adrienne.
Finely so Beverly Croft. Adrienne this is such beautiful example of truth that we can all see, experience and learn from. It never came to my mind that cranes/ and its operators actually care for they responsibility and precise work. This then immediately shows me that I am not this responsible and precise in my life, which I can definitely approve! I am so thankful that you shared with us your experience, I have deeply took stock and will make sure I implement a deeper form of responsibility and precision in my life.
I have had the same experience Beverley with a digger driver, who had a deep love for his work and the people he worked for. He was so very precise and full of care in his movements. Lovely to feel that.
I appreciate seeing and feeling others work with a sense of themselves and presence with their work. I feel honoured. My eyes always notice the quality and I feel the truth and support of this quality when I see it. It is inspiring and a beautiful reflection to the responsibility we all have when moving, working and completing any tasks in our day.
Yes indeed, appreciating someone’s moves in tenderness is so beautiful to watch. I always love it watching someone folding their clothes tenderly or stirring a soup in gentle rhythms. Feeling the responsibility how I move and touch and walk throughout my day.
True Monika, I love this too, as it has a beautiful opening impact on the body and therefore mind. Great also that the own movements, done with tenderness, love and awareness, without any rush have the same impact on ourselves too.
We often don’t see the beauty and grace in these large machines, until someone like Suzanne or Adrienne points out the delicacy of their controls, and the precision with which they operate. Within our own bodies there are even more delicate controls, operating with even greater precision. How crazy that we could even think of upsetting that perfect balance by being in disregard of it.
Agree catherine bower, what you say about the intricacy and precision of our own bodies, the question is who’s the operator of our own crane, us or something/one else? If it were literal and we actually had or owned a lovely crane and then one day spotted a thief operating it with crazed movements causing disarray, we’d be straight over there like anything to get them out of our vehicle (!!!!)
I can relate with this Suzanne when I was having the foundations dug with a mini bulldozer for my house. The operator was in complete presence concentrating 100% on what he was skillfully doing. Watching him in his presence was a delight.
Absolutely Lorraine. A friend of mine introduced me to the bulldozer driver who cleared gigantic Camphor Laurel trees off her adjacent block of land, and he had done this massive job, and yet was one of the gentlest men I have ever met. It is deeply beautiful and inspiring what one encounters in this world of building and clearing.
Adrienne I only had to open your blog and read the title to feel the deep connection of how the graciousness of purpose is the loving reflection that is exactly the message I needed to receive this morning. A huge thankyou, all you share is such a healing gift and deeply appreciciated.
Well said Sandra, I love what Adrienne is sharing, and it’s so easy to understand and connect to what she is saying – the crane is a perfect example, as though it’s size clearly would magnify any hurrying and distraction…I have a better understanding now why we had a crane end up in the river early this week, crashing through the guard rails and driving off the highway bridge. Lucky driver was saved.
I too can relate to how it is very visible when something goes wrong concerning a crane, than the devastation is enormous. We had an accident in our country the other week with two cranes falling over smashing several houses and the road. But what if the devastation we leave behind when we are rushing etc. We might not see it happen but the effects can also have a life’s impact.
Very true Diana. The devastation a crane leaves behind is evident and very easy to see. Yet what about the devastation we leave behind when we are not living the elegance and purpose that Adrienne is talking about. After reading this blog the first time, I was promoted to feel more clearly the difference between when I was walking with anxious thoughts, and when I chose to pause and feel my body and return to a walk that embraced a steady connected pace where I could feel the harmony within my body and between me and my surrounding. I knew the impact on my surrounding would have been very different, because I could very clearly feel the difference within me, and the difference was profound.
Yes, I agree the difference is profound, I felt this a while back when running late for an appointment. I could feel how horrible my body felt as I went into this ‘rushing’ walk, and I had to stop walking in this way and bring it back to a more connected and harmonious walk. The imprint left behind is one that is far more loving and responsible.
Yes Golnaz and Lorraine – these effects of how we are with ourselves are palpable even though we cannot see it as clearly as a crane accident. How we are impacts greatly those around us but often we choose not to see it.
Very true Diana, the damage we do or the harm we cause may not be visible but it will be felt by ourselves and others even if we may not allow ourselves to be honest about it.
It’s a great point to make Katinka that even though the harm may not be visible, it’s happening all the same. It’s easy to see the effect of a large crane falling over or knocking something, but not so obvious perhaps to see (or be honest about at least) the immediate effect of many of our own choices which can involve food, money, relationships, sleep etc. It often takes a long period of harm to the body to eventually result in something – (usually a medical, physical or emotional condition) – that we cannot ignore, but wouldn’t it be a different approach to take notice ‘before’ the symptoms had to magnify…
Yes the effects are definitively there. Last week I found myself reflecting how lovely it was not rushing around and how I could feel this was felt in the quality I was with meeting people. I then saw someone rushing about and my immediate reaction was that I too should be seen to be rushing about so as to avoid any resentment from others that I had it easy because I had less to do. I realised how strong the pull to be doing for others at ones own expense is and how breaking from mould I find quite tricky.
But I felt how important it was to keep steady, to not automatically undervalue what I am doing or think I’m doing half the amount of work. I knew I was getting to feel how my frantic rushing feels to others and how strongly it can invite others into a panic or not being with themselves that then has a knock on effect on everyone they meet and so on. How important it is to hold steady and consistent so a new normal can be founded.
A great point, Karin. We do notice as soon as (or even before) something alien enters into our proximity and feel the pull to be the same even that would mean degrading ourselves. So, there’s a purpose in walking in our power, claiming our light even when our surrounding might present itself to be the complete opposite.
Really great observations Karin, I know I observe the same in others, but also myself. Knowing full well what it is like to really be with myself and yet when I see others in the ‘doing’, in the past I have always enjoined. Enjoined in many things. But to hold steady and consistent is now becoming my normal also.
Yes Karin I too would often enjoin in doing things for others, if I was finished with my work and also to be seen as doing ‘good,’ and being the good citizen etc. But now I see that as a falsity and in the end just leads to more rushing and it never really stops. When we make the choice to change our ways and stay connected to ourselves, the steadiness from this can be monumental in our daily lives. Our new normal can set a foundation for change.
Great point Diana – in this example the devastation is obvious, but how often do we consider how much the quality of our movements affects not only ourselves, but others and what kind of imprint are we leaving behind?
It is wonderful how life is able to reflect in so many ways that everything is energy and the quality and intention of purpose that we have in any movement is carried and magnified in that movement. This vignette of the crane offers us the large scale in order to appreciate the unseen.
The fact that life is a constant reflection for me and that there is “infinite beauty in life” something as simple as watching a crane and it’s workings can be all that is needed in a moment to appreciate that beauty.
Yes I feel that too Elizabeth. At the moment our local shopping centre is getting a major overhaul and to watch the men and cranes work with such beautiful commitment and purpose makes it a wondrous sight to see everyday. So much appreciation for the work they do.
Beautifully expressed Adrienne and Sandra. I can feel the truth of how engaging in all activities with grace and purpose and no rush actually does get everything achieved not only more swiftly but with a responsibility to bestow this grace and harmony to fill the space around us as we work – blessing all those around us. The support this understanding has brought to my livingness is palpable and quite simply life changing.
Agreed Sandra, Adrienne’s blogs bring so much healing as she has so much wisdom and beauty that she shares unreservedly with us all.
That’s so true Mary. When I rush I fail to feel the loveliness in myself and others and don’t make space to appreciate. Rushing around feels really abusive. This is great to feel as it supports my choosing to stay with me in all I do, not getting caught up ahead of myself thinking of what’s next, but letting whatever’s next come to me.